JUDGE JOHN T. BENDER

JUDGE MARY JANE BOWES

Judge Mary Jane Bowes was born on July 18, 1954, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University in 1976 and, upon graduation, was selected for the James Fulton Internship with Congressman H. John Heinz III. While attending the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Judge Bowes participated in legal internships with the District Attorney’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office and Neighborhood Legal Services in Homewood. She received her law degree in 1979.

After graduating from law school, Judge Bowes served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Henry X. O’Brien of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and to Senior Judges Harry Montgomery and John P. Hester, of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. From 1986 to 1998, she was engaged in the private practice of law. Her extensive legal experience included work in the areas of personal injury, insurance defense, real estate, corporate and commercial litigation, and social security disability matters. In 1994, Judge Bowes founded her own firm, specializing primarily in construction and commercial litigation. While in private practice, she was chosen as arbitrator in numerous matters in both federal and state court arbitration programs as well as in private arbitrations. She received an AV Peer Review Rating by Martindale Hubbell. In 1996, Judge Bowes was elected to membership in the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County. She joined a publicly-traded environmental remediation company as Corporate Counsel in 1998.

Judge Bowes is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association, and served on its Professional Ethics and Appellate Practice Committees. She is also a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and is past Co-Chair of the Appellate Advocacy Committee. In 2008, she was awarded a Special Achievement Award by the Pennsylvania Bar Association for her work on that committee. She previously served as co-president of the Women’s Bar Association of Western Pennsylvania and is past president of the St. Thomas More Society.

In addition to her duties in court, Judge Bowes has been a continuing legal education course planner and lecturer for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, American Inns of Court, and numerous county bar associations. She has published several articles on diverse subjects pertaining to the Superior Court.

Active in community affairs, Judge Bowes chairs the St. Anthony Charitable Foundation, and sits on the Board of Trustees of the Allegheny County Medical Society Foundation. She is a former Board member of the Allegheny County Finance and Development Commission, which comprise five municipal authorities, St. Clair Memorial Hospital, Duquesne University, and numerous other charitable and civic organizations. In 1997, she was honored by Governor Tom Ridge with Pennsylvania’s Best 50 Women in Business Award. She was named Woman of the Year in 2007 by the University of Pittsburgh Law Women’s Association for her work on the Color of Justice Program.

Judge Bowes was elected to a ten-year term on the Superior Court of Pennsylvania in November 2001. Her chambers are located in Pittsburgh.

JUDGE SUSAN PEIKES GANTMAN

Judge Susan Peikes Gantman is a cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she received her Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Arts degrees in 1974. Judge Gantman graduated from the Villanova School of Law in 1977. Following graduation from law school, Judge Gantman served as law clerk to the Honorable Richard S. Lowe, of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas. Judge Gantman has also served as Solicitor for the Montgomery County Office of Children and Youth and the Montgomery County Housing and Community Development. Her career includes additional public service as an Assistant District Attorney for Montgomery County, where she worked in the major crimes unit.

In 1981, Judge Gantman entered private practice. Her extensive legal experience includes litigation, domestic law, juvenile law, Orphans Court actions and appellate practice. In 1991, Judge Gantman joined the law firm of Sherr, Joffe & Zuckerman, P.C. as Partner and Chair of the Domestic Relations Section. In 1998, she became a senior member and served as Co-chair of the Family Law Section of the law firm of Cozen O'Connor.

Throughout her career, Judge Gantman has been a tireless advocate on behalf of children and other victims of abuse. During her years in practice, Judge Gantman appeared as a frequent lecturer and instructor, conducting numerous classes and seminars for the Pennsylvania State Police Academy, the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, the Montgomery County Bar Association, and the Department of Public Welfare. Judge Gantman is currently a frequent lecturer on issues of Appellate Practice and Procedure for the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Montgomery Bar Association and the Lawyers Club of Philadelphia. She has also served on the Board of Directors for Womens Philanthropy, the Federation of Allied Jewish Appeal, and Women of Vision. Judge Gantman has been recognized by the Montgomery County Office of Children and Youth for her achievements and outstanding service.  She was presented with the Margaret Richardson Award given  by the Montgomery County Bar to a person who has advanced the role of women in the legal field and furthered womens legal rights.   She is a current member of the National Association of Women Judges. Other honors include the Bond of Faith and the Juvenile Advisory Association Award.

Judge Gantman is a member of the American Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association and Montgomery County Bar Association.  She is also a member of the Pennsylvania Bars Commission on Women in the Profession, the Appellate Practice Committee, the National Association of Women Judges, and the Montgomery County Bar Foundation Taxis Circle.  She is a Fellow of the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation and a Master of the Villanova University School of Law Inns of Court.

Judge Gantmans election to a ten-year term on the Superior Court was confirmed in January 2004. Her Chambers are located in Montgomery County.

JUDGE JACK A. PANELLA

Judge Jack A. Panella was elected to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania in November 2003, and sworn into office as an appellate judge on January 9, 2004.  He now presides over appeals from civil, criminal and family law cases. He was the statewide Administrative Judge for Wiretap & Electronic Surveillance in Pennsylvania from 2004 through 2009.

His election to the appellate court followed twelve years as a trial judge.   Judge Panella was initially sworn in as a trial judge on the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County in October 1991, and was subsequently elected to a ten-year term commencing January 1, 1994.  He presided over civil and criminal trials and was also the Administrative Judge for Asbestos Litigation, which involved complex mass tort litigation. Judge Panella also presided in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Divisions of the Court.

Judge Panella was admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1980.  He was selected to serve as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County, a position he held until August 1982.  From 1982 to 1991, he maintained his law practice as a sole practitioner.  He had a diverse private practice with an emphasis in civil and criminal litigation.  His clients included Larry Holmes, the former world’s heavyweight boxing champion, and the late Albert Loquasto, a former champion professional race car driver.

After the completion of his judicial clerkship, Judge Panella returned to public service in December 1982, when he was appointed an Assistant County Solicitor for Northampton County, a position he held until he was appointed County Solicitor in May 1987.  He was the youngest attorney in Northampton County history to be appointed County Solicitor. He served in that capacity until his appointment to the Northampton County Bench in 1991 by Governor Robert P. Casey.  He then became the second youngest judge in the history of Northampton County.

Judge Panella is a member of the American Bar Association as well as the Pennsylvania and Northampton County Bar Associations. He is also a member of the American Judges Association.

In 2004, he was appointed by Chief Justice Ralph J. Cappy to the Commission For Justice Initiatives in Pennsylvania (CJI), a committee organized to coordinate and recommend judicial outreach and specialized court programs.  He was the Chair of the Public Education and Community Outreach subcommittee of the Commission.  As part of his responsibilities for the CJI, Judge Panella conceived and wrote a popular short film on the history and operation of the Pennsylvania Judiciary. The film has been used as an educational tool in classrooms around the state, and can be viewed on the websites of the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

While a trial judge, he was a member of the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges.   He was Chair of the Commonwealth Partners Program, which involves statewide meetings attended by judges and legislators to discuss and resolve issues of mutual concern.  In recognition of the success of this program, Judge Panella was given the Presidents Award from the Conference of State Trial Judges in 2002.  In his capacity as a trial judge, Judge Panella was also a member of the Judicial Ethics Committee of the Conference.

On August 26, 1997, Judge Panella was appointed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to be a judge of the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline.  In June 2000, he was elected President Judge by his fellow judges.  The Court of Judicial Discipline is a constitutional court, which hears charges filed by the Judicial Conduct Board against judicial officers.  His four-year term expired in August 2001. 

Judge Panella’s first book, The Pennsylvania Sexual Violence Benchbook was published in December 2007. The book provides judges with a comprehensive understanding of Pennsylvania’s current sexual offense laws, and is a valuable resource for judges overseeing cases dealing with sexual crimes, violence and abuse.  The book has received widespread acclaim from the legal and judicial communities.  

In 2002, Judge Panella was selected to join the United States Army National Guard to visit troops from Pennsylvania in Germany and Bosnia.  The trip was a cooperative effort of the 28^th Infantry Division and the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Committee. 

Judge Panella’s other community activities, past and present, include Solicitor and Board Member for United Cerebral Palsy of the Lehigh Valley, and President and Board Member of the Boys and Girls Club of Easton. He is also a past member of the Boards of Easton Hospital and Northampton Community College, as well as the Advisory Board for Turning Point.  He was an officer of the Clinton Budd Palmer Inn of Court for four years.

Judge Christine Donohue was born December 24, 1952, in Coaldale, Pennsylvania and was raised in Lansford in Carbon County. She graduated from East Stroudsburg University in 1974 with a B.A. in Political Science. She earned her Juris Doctor at Duquesne University School of Law, 1980 and served on the Duquesne Law Review. Judge Donohue has resided in the City of Pittsburgh since 1977.

Prior to taking the bench in January 2008, Judge Donohue was listed in Best Lawyers in America, Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and the Top 50 Attorneys in Pittsburgh. She is an elected Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County and the American Board of Trial Advocates. She is a past president of the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. Judge Donohue was a shareholder in Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, P.C. and was the practice manager of the commercial litigation department in its predecessor firm, Klett Rooney Lieber & Schorling, P.C.

Judge Donohue is a member of the American, Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Bar Associations. She was on the Board of Governors of the Allegheny County Bar Association from 1988-1990 and was also the Chair of the Young Lawyers Division in 1989. She is a Charter Member of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation. She served as a member of the House of Delegates of the Pennsylvania Bar Association from 1986-2007. She has been twice recognized, most recently in 2008, in Pennsylvania Law Weekly as one of the State’s “Women Leaders in the Legal Profession”.

Judge Donohue is a former judge on the statewide Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline, a former chair of the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners and she served for six (6) years on the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. She served on the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board from March 2009-June 2011.

Judge Donohue taught ethics for attorneys at the Duquesne University School of Law. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Hill House Association, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Western Pennsylvania, Turtle Creek Valley Mental Health/Mental Retardation, Inc. and the National Aviary of Pittsburgh.

Judge Donohue was elected to the Superior Court in November 2007 and began her term in office in January 2008. Her chambers are in Pittsburgh.

Judge Jacqueline (Jackie) O. Shogan was born on June 5, 1953, and raised in the Pittsburgh area.  A graduate of Gateway High School in Monroeville, Judge Shogan went on to Temple University to receive a B.S. in Nursing, summa cum laude, in 1975.  She subsequently obtained an M.S. in Nursing from the University of Virginia.  Judge Shogan practiced for over 10 years as a staff nurse, clinical nurse specialist, and clinical instructor at several major teaching hospitals.  She also published in nursing and critical care journals and served on the faculty of Duquesne University.

Judge Shogan had a longstanding interest in public policy and the legal system.  She returned to school to obtain a J.D., with high honors, from Duke University School of Law in North Carolina, graduating in 1990.  While at Duke, Judge Shogan was elected to the Order of the Coif and received the Bidlake Legal Research and Writing Award, the American Jurisprudence Award for Achievement in Federal Appellate Practice, and the Most Effective Advocate Award by the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Upon graduation from law school, she practiced in the areas of civil litigation, health law, and administrative law.  Because she hoped to eventually pursue a judicial career, she then spent four years as an attorney on the staff of Judge Maurice B. Cohill, Jr., of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.  Judge Shogan received extensive experience in criminal law during that time.  She returned to private practice at the end of 2001 as a member of the complex civil litigation group at Thorp, Reed & Armstrong, LLP.  Judge Shogan also served as an arbitrator and mediator prior to being elected to the Superior Court in 2007.

In addition to her judicial duties, Judge Shogan teaches appellate practice at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.  She also has a certificate in writing from the National Judicial College.  Judge Shogan was honored as a 2007-2008 Woman of the Year by the Legal Intelligencer and Pennsylvania Law Weekly.  She is also a recipient of the Celebrate & Share Women of Achievement Award.

Judge Shogan has been involved in her community for many years.  She is a past member and officer of the Board of Directors of Neighborhood Legal Services, which provides pro bono legal assistance in civil matters to the indigent in southwestern Pennsylvania.  She is also a past member and officer of the Board of Directors of Easter Seals Western Pennsylvania and of the Board of Trustees of St. Edmunds Academy in Pittsburgh.  Judge Shogan is currently a member of the Allegheny and Westmoreland County Bar Associations, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the Bar Association of the Third Federal Circuit, the Womens Bar Association, and the National Association of Women Judges.  She holds leadership positions in a number of these organizations.  Judge Shogan is also a fellow of the Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Bar Foundations.

Judge Shogan was elected to the Superior Court in November 2007. Her chambers are in the Pittsburgh area.

JUDGE CHERYL LYNN ALLEN

Cheryl Lynn Allen was elected to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania in November 2007. She is a Pittsburgh native and a graduate of Schenley High School, Penn State University, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Judge Allen began her career as an elementary school teacher in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. After graduating from law school, she worked as an attorney for Neighborhood Legal Services, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, and the Allegheny County Law Department.  She also maintained a small civil practice.

In the spring of 1990, Judge Allen earned a merit selection appointment to the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, where she served in the Criminal Division.  Judge Allen was elected to a ten-year term in November of 1991 and was assigned to the Juvenile Section of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.  The voters retained Judge Allen for a second ten-year term in November of 2001, and she continued to serve in the Juvenile Section until April 2, 2004.  While serving in Juvenile Court, Judge Allen was appointed to the Supreme Court Juvenile Court Judges Commission.  On April 12, 2004, Judge Allen returned to the Criminal Division, where she served until her election to the Superior Court.  Judge Allen was also an Associate Professor at Point Park University from 2001-2006.

Judge Allen has volunteered extensively throughout her career.  She currently serves on the Boards of the Women’s Choice Network, Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation, Hosanna House, Cornerstone Television, Waynesburg University Board of Trustees, and the National Regional Church CARE Advisory Board. She is a former Board Member of Child Watch and CASA (Court Appointment Special Advocates).

In addition, Judge Allen has been instrumental in the creation and implementation of treatment programs such as the Academy’s Alternative Summer School Program and the Alternative to Detention program through Youth Enrichment Services. Judge Allen also worked with the Juvenile Law Project to implement the Birth Parent Mentoring Program. Judge Allen has received numerous awards and recognition for her efforts on behalf of children and families. Her most recent awards include:

• New Pittsburgh Courier’s Women of Excellence Awards, 2008
• The Legal Intelligencer and Pennsylvania Law Weekly Women of the Year, 2008
• Bidwell United Presbyterian Church Phenomenal Woman’s Award, 2008
Camp Fire USA Incredible Kid Day Breakfast of Champions, 2008
• Celebrate & Share Woman of Achievement Honor Award, 2008
• 3 Rivers Youth Nellie Leadership Award, 2006
• YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh 2006 A Tribute to Women Award

Judge Allen is married to Jimmie Skipwith and is the mother of 3 sons, Frederick, Justin and Jason, and the grandmother of six. Raising her sons to be responsible and productive young men is one of her proudest accomplishments.  Judge Allen is the eldest of five siblings, born to Robert and Corrine Allen.

Judge Anne E. Lazarus was born in Brooklyn, New York on November 12, 1952. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1972. She received both her Juris Doctor (1976) and LLM in Taxation (1986) from Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Judge Lazarus served as Legal Counsel to the Philadelphia Orphans’ Court from 1980 to 1991 under the Honorable Edmund S. Pawelec. She also practiced law in the estates department of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP in Philadelphia before being appointed to the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County by Governor Robert P. Casey. Judge Lazarus was elected to a full term as judge in 1991 and served on the Philadelphia bench until 2010. During her tenure as a trial court judge, Judge Lazarus served in the Criminal, Civil Trial and Orphans’ Court Divisions. She worked diligently to increase pro bono service by the bar and, in 2005, was the first recipient of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Legal Services for the Public Committee’s Judge’s Award in recognition of her pro bono efforts. She was also a long-standing member of the Ethics Committee of the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges, serving as its Chairperson from 2005 through 2009.

Judge Lazarus is a member of the American, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Bar Associations. She enjoys teaching and has served as an Adjunct Professor at Widener University School of Law, the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and the National Judicial College. She is also a frequent lecturer for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, speaking on such topics as judicial ethics, Orphans’ Court practice and procedure and issues surrounding incapacity. She is active in the Temple American Inn of Court of which she is a past president, and the Louis D. Brandeis Law Society, which she served as Inaugural Chancellor. Judge Lazarus serves on the Board of Directors of Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program and was instrumental in establishing its “tangled title” assistance program. In addition, Judge Lazarus is the author of several law review articles dealing with the issues of incapacity as well as pro bono publico service.

Judge Lazarus has received numerous honors and awards, including the PBA Legal Services for the Public Committee Judge’s Award, the Brandeis Law Society’s Benjamin F. Levy Community Service Award and the PLAN of PA Bernard White Community Service Award.

Judge Lazarus was elected to the Superior Court in November 2009 and was sworn in as a member of the Court in January 2010.Her chambers are in Philadelphia. She is the first woman from Philadelphia to be elected to any statewide office.

JUDGE SALLIE UPDYKE MUNDY

Judge Sallie Updyke Mundy was born in Elmira, New York, and raised in Tioga, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Washington & Jefferson College in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and she earned her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1987. Judge Mundy began her career serving a judicial clerkship for Tioga County President Judge Robert M. Kemp, Jr.

In 1988, Judge Mundy entered private practice as a defense attorney primarily defending doctors and nurses accused of committing medical malpractice. She practiced with the firms of McQuaide, Blasko, Schwartz, Fleming & Faulkner, State College, Pennsylvania; Law Office of Stephen A. Ryan, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania; and Schwartz, Campbell & Detweiler, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Beginning in 1998 and for the next 11 years, Judge Mundy practiced law with the firm of McEldrew & Fullam, PhiladelphiaPennsylvania, representing injured victims. She also volunteered for the Public Defender’s Office of Tioga County representing criminal clients.

Judge Mundy is a member of the Tioga County and Pennsylvania Bar Associations. She has held the following positions for the Pennsylvania Bar: Chair, Young Lawyers Division, Zone 11; Young Lawyers Division, At-Large Chair; member, House of Delegates of the Pennsylvania Bar; Appointed Trustee, Bar Trust; member, Pennsylvania Bar Foundation Commonwealth Club. She was appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to the Interest on Lawyers Trust Account (IOLTA) Board and was appointed by the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court to the Disciplinary Hearing Committee, 3.02, and served as Chair.

Professional awards were received by Judge Mundy from Keystone Legal Services for Pro Bono services and the Tioga Township Board of Supervisors for professional assistance to the Planning Commission.

Judge Mundy resides in Tioga County. She and her husband, Jim, who is also a lawyer, have five children. Her chambers are located in Wellsboro, Tioga County, Pennsylvania.

JUDGE JUDITH FERENCE OLSON

Judge Judith Ference Olson was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1957. She graduated magna cum laude from Saint Francis University in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Theatre Arts. She attended the Duquesne University School of Law where she served on the Duquesne Law Review and, in 1982, she graduated second in her class. Following graduation, Judge Olson clerked for the Honorable Maurice B. Cohill, Jr. of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

In 1984, Judge Olson joined the law firm of Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote, P.C. where she practiced in the area of complex commercial litigation. In 2000, Judge Olson joined the firm of Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP where she served as Chairperson of the firm’s Antitrust and Trade Regulation Practice Group and Partner-in-Charge of Litigation for the firm’s Pittsburgh office. While in private practice, Judge Olson served as a private mediator and arbitrator for the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. She was inducted as a fellow of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County where she served as Chairperson of the Academy’s Federal Court Committee and as a member of the Board of Governors. She was also named as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer® and one of Pennsylvania’s top 50 women lawyers.

In 2008, Judge Olson was nominated by Governor Edward G. Rendell for a position on the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County. She was unanimously confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate. On November 10, 2008, she took the oath of office and was assigned to the Civil Division of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County.

On November 3, 2009, Judge Olson was elected to a ten-year term on the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. Her chambers are in Pittsburgh.

Judge Olson is a member of the Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Bar Associations, the Federal Bar Association, and the American Inns of Court (Pittsburgh Chapter), and she is a fellow of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation.

Judge Olson dedicates much time to charitable organizations. She is actively involved with the American Heart Association where she has served in various capacities, including as a member of the National Board of Directors and as President of the Allegheny Division. She has also donated significant time to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh where she has served on the Hospital’s Family Forum and as Chairperson of the Children’s Challenge. Judge Olson also serves on the Bishop’s Pastoral Council for the Diocese of Pittsburgh. As a result of her volunteer services, Judge Olson has received numerous awards including the American Heart Association Allegheny Division Volunteer of the Year Award, Community Champion Award, and the Earl G. Harrison Community Service Award.

Judge Olson resides in the Pittsburgh area with her husband and their two children.

JUDGE PAULA FRANCISCO OTT

Judge Paula Francisco Ott was born on September 17, 1950 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Delaware in 1972; her Juris Doctor (1975) and Masters of Law in Taxation (1981) from Temple University School of Law.

Judge Ott began her legal career in public service, first as an Assistant District Attorney in Chester County (1975-1978) then as an Assistant County Solicitor in Chester County (1978-1980). From 1981 – 1992, she was a partner in the law firm of Gawthrop, Greenwood & Halsted, West Chester, Pennsylvania, where she enjoyed a general legal practice with concentration in the areas of business transactions, real estate, tax law, estate planning and estate administration. In 1991, Judge Ott was the first woman elected to the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County, where she was subsequently retained in 2001. In 2005, Judge Ott was elected the first woman President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County, and in 2009 was elected to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.

Judge Ott is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Chester county Bar Association, National Association of Women Judges and the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges.

Judge Ott serves on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Orphans’ Court Rules Committee and the Joint State Government Commission Advisory Committee on Decedents’ Estates Laws. She was President of the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges (2003-2004) and co-chaired the President Judges’ Committee (2005-2009). Judge Ott has also served on committees that promote best practices in the judicial system, such as the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Commission for Justice Initiatives, the Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee on Court Reporting and Transcripts and the Implementation Committee of the Interbranch Commission for Gender, Racial and Ethnic Fairness.

Judge Ott’s service to the citizens of Chester County was recognized when she received the March of Dimes Woman of Achievement Award for Public Service in 1993. She remains active in her community as a member of the West Chester Rotary Club and as a Trustee of the Chester County Hospital Foundation.

JUDGE JUDGE DAVID N. WECHT

Judge David N. Wecht has served on the Superior Court of Pennsylvania since January 2012. Judge Wecht was “Highly Recommended” by the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and was elected statewide to a ten year term in November 2011. The Superior Court of Pennsylvania is one of the busiest appellate courts in the United States of America.

Judge Wecht served as a trial judge on the Court of Common Pleas for Pennsylvania’s Fifth Judicial District from February 2003 to January 2012. Over nearly nine years on the trial bench, Judge Wecht presided extensively in both the Civil and Family Divisions.

From January 2009 to January 2011, Judge Wecht served by appointment of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania as Administrative Judge of the Family Division, which encompasses both domestic relations cases and cases of juvenile dependency and delinquency. As Administrative Judge, Judge Wecht designed and implemented several reforms and innovations, including the Unified Family Court, the local rule on parenting coordination, and improved conflict counsel appointments in juvenile cases.

Prior to taking the bench, Judge Wecht was twice elected as Allegheny County’s Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphan’s Court. In that capacity, he pioneered innovations that included creation of a free will consultation program for seniors and authorship of a state law that prevents accused murderers from controlling their victims’ estates.

Judge Wecht is a 1984 Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Yale, where he was a National Merit Scholar and earned Yale College Distinction in both history and political science. At The Yale Law School, Judge Wecht was selected as Notes Editor of The Yale Law Journal, and as an Editor of both the Yale Law & Policy Review and the Yale Journal of International Law. After graduating from The Yale Law School in 1987, Judge Wecht served as Law Clerk to U.S. Circuit Judge George MacKinnon on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in Washington, D.C., and received the Award for Distinguished Service in that position. Judge Wecht then practiced law continuously with firms in Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh until he took the bench in February 2003.

A frequent lecturer and author, Judge Wecht currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at Duquesne University School of Law, an Adjunct Instructor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, and a Fellow of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation. Judge Wecht is a former member of the Executive Committee of the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges. He has served on a number of civic and community boards, including the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Domestic Relations Procedural Rules Committee, the Law Enforcement Advisory Committee of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee of the Community College of Allegheny County, the Juvenile Court Judges Commission, the Amen Corner, and others.

PRESIDENT JUDGE EMERITUS STEPHEN J. McEWEN, JR.

President Judge Emeritus McEwen commenced service on the Pennsylvania Superior Court in 1981, and was President Judge from 1996-2001. He was twice appointed by the Supreme Court in the 1980s to the Judicial Inquiry and Review Board, and in 1996, was appointed by Governor Tom Ridge to the Court of Judicial Discipline, and was thereafter elected President Judge of that Court.

The Supreme Court appointed him in October 2004 to serve with Chief Justice Emeritus John P. Flaherty as co-chair of the Pennsylvania Judicial Independence Commission.

Judge McEwen pursued his study of the law at St. Joseph's College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, was in 1986 awarded the degree of Master of Laws by the University of Virginia Law School, and has received Honorary Doctorates from DeSales University, Widener University Law School, and the University of Scranton.

Judge McEwen, a trial lawyer for 23 years, was the elected District Attorney of Delaware County from 1967-1976, and thereafter served as General Counsel for the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association. He was a Professor of Trial Advocacy at Villanova University Law School for 10 years, and served as Editor of the “Appellate Judges News” section of the ABA Judicial Division Record and on the Editorial Board of the ABA Judges Journal.

He is a Past President of the Council of Chief Judges of State Courts of Appeal, is on the Board of Advisors of the ABA United Nations Development Project, and was a member of the American Law Institute. During the summers of 2000-2002, he was a USAID lecturer in Bulgaria, and in July 2004 was appointed by the Republic of Bulgaria to serve as Honorary Consul.

Click Here for Judge McEwen's Curriculum Vitae

JUDGE ROBERT E. COLVILLE

Judge Robert E. Colville was born in Pittsburgh in 1935.  After graduating from North Catholic High School in 1953, Judge Colville joined the United States Marine Corps, and, upon discharge attended Duquesne University, obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1963.  From 1959 to 1963, he was Teacher and Head Coach of the North Catholic High School football team. 

Judge Colville served the City of Pittsburgh for fifteen years as a Patrolman, Homicide Detective and Chief of Police.  While serving as a Police Officer, Judge Colville enrolled in evening classes at Duquesne University School of Law where he earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1969.  In 1976 he was elected District Attorney of Allegheny County, a position he held until 1997 when he was elected a Judge in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County. Judge Colville now serves as a Senior Judge for the Superior Court, being assigned to that position by the Supreme Court in March of 2006.

Judge Colville is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the American Bar Association.  He served on the Supreme Courts Criminal Procedural Rules Committee; Chaired the Allegheny County Victim/Witness Services Committee and the Allegheny County Drug Initiative; served on the Board of Trustees of Community College of Allegheny County.  Judge Colville is also a member of Pennsylvania Mental Health Courts Commission for Justice Initiatives, and serves on the Wrongful Convictions Advisory Committee of Pennsylvania.  He is a member of the distinguished Duquesne University Century Club and received the Outstanding Law Alumnus Award from the Duquesne University Law Alumni Association.

Judge Colville and his wife, Janet, have six children and seven grandchildren and make their home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

JUDGE JAMES J. FITZGERALD III

Born in 1939 in Winchester, Massachusetts Justice James J. Fitzgerald III came to Philadelphia in 1958 to attend the University of Pennsylvania as an undergraduate. There he studied economics, served as vice president of his senior class, president of the Kite and Key Service Society, rowed varsity crew for three years, rowed in two Olympic trials in 1960 and 1964, and met his wife, Carol.

After earning his law degree from Villanova University Law School, Justice Fitzgerald went to work in the Office of the District Attorney. There, alongside other young advocates, he fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a trial lawyer.　 For twelve years he honed his skills and broadened his knowledge, trying every kind of criminal case imaginable. He was in charge of thirty-three ADAs as Chief of the Felony Waiver, Municipal Court, and Police Advisory Units.

Following a bold run for Philadelphia City Controller, Justice Fitzgerald served as Chief Counsel to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, followed by a four-year stint with a private law firm trying civil cases, and four years as Executive Vice President for Government Affairs at the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.　

Justice Fitzgeralds longtime love for the courtroom and the law resulted in his being elevated to the bench of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in 1989. In 2002, he was appointed Administrative Justice of the Trial Division by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court where he was in charge of and coordinated the activities of 66 commissioned judges, 12 senior judges, 1,000 employees, and a $46 million dollar budget.　 He launched electronic filing initiatives for the civil section, trial division; established and supported the judicial pro bono publico program; established the juror appreciation day program and disposed of over 10,000 felony cases including numerous homicide cases.

On February 13, 2007, Justice Fitzgerald was nominated by Governor Edward G. Rendell to serve as a Justice on The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. After his unanimous confirmation by the Pennsylvania Senate, he was sworn in by Justice Ronald D. Castille as an interim Justice. He served as Liaison Justice for the Supreme Court Mental Health Task Force.　On January 7, 2008 he was appointed by Chief Justice Castille as Co-Chair of the Pennsylvania Commission on Judicial Independence along with Chief Justice Emeritus John P. Flaherty. Governor Rendell appointed Justice Fitzgerald as a member of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency on October 22, 2009. Currently, Justice Fitzgerald is serving as a Senior Judge on The Superior Court of Pennsylvania.

Justice Fitzgerald and his wife Carol have three grown children and four grandchildren.

Justice Fitzgerald's other associations and activities have included being President of the J. Willard OBrien Villanova Law Inn of Court; Chair for Strategic Planning Committee for Jenkins Law Library; Member of Administrative Governing Board, First Judicial District of Pennsylvania; Member of Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee; Vice President of Philadelphia Flag Day Association; Member of Brehon Law Society; Member of The Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, Former Treasurer of St. Thomas More Society; Board of Trustees at Springside School.

Awards Justice Fitzgerald has been honored with are from the Brehon Law Society Award for Lifetime of Achievement in the Law and the Award for Judicial Excellence; Philadelphia Flag Day Associations Annual Citizens Award; the Louis D. Brandeis Law Society Award; and the Alumni Award of Merit from the University of Pennsylvania.

JUDGE WILLIAM H. PLATT

Judge William H. Platt was born in Allentown, PA, in 1940. He is a graduate of Emmaus High School, Dickinson College (A.B., Honors in Economics, 1961), and the Law School of the University of Pennsylvania (J.D., 1964).

After completing law school, Judge Platt served in the U. S. Army Military Police Corps. When he returned from the military, and after completing his preceptorship, he began the private practice of law with the late Howard Yarus, Esquire, in a firm which ultimately became Yarus & Platt. From 1976 to 1991, he was the District Attorney of Lehigh County, and before that, the Lehigh County Chief Public Defender. He left the prosecutor’s office to become the partner-incharge of the Allentown office of a Pittsburgh-based national law firm, a member of the firm’s litigation department and the coordinator of its White Collar Crime Practice Group. From 1994-1996, while still with that firm, he was the Allentown City Solicitor.

Platt sat as a trial judge on the Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County for 15 years. He was twice elected President Judge of that court. In January, 2011, he became a Senior Judge and was assigned to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.

Judge Platt is a member of the Bar Association of Lehigh County, the Pennsylvania and the American Bar Associations, as well as the American Judicature Society and the American Judges Association. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Bar Association of Lehigh County, the House of Delegates of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and also serves as a member of the Pennsylvania Committee on Proposed Standard Criminal Jury Instructions.

He is a former President of the Judge Donald E. Wieand American Inn of Courts, and previously served the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges as a member of its Education Committee and as Chair of its Criminal Law Section. He was Chairman of the Criminal Procedural Rules Committee of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania from 1986 to 1992, and a member of that Committee beginning in 1982. Judge Platt is a past president and lifetime honorary board member of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, a member and past president of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, a member and former member of the Board of the National District Attorneys Association, and a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys. He has been a member of the Executive Board of the Minsi Trails Council, B.S.A., since 1990, and, from 1991 to 1995, served as its legal counsel.

Platt has published numerous legal articles, including a practice handbook on Pennsylvania Eyewitness Identification.

The judge and his wife, Maureen, have three children and four grandchildren.

JUDGE GENE STRASSBURGER

Judge Gene Strassburger graduated from Yale College and Harvard Law School. After clerking for 2 years for Justice Henry X. O’Brien on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, he was associated with the law firm of Strassburger & McKenna and served in the City of Pittsburgh Law Department. His most notable achievement in the Law Department was arguing and winning in the United States Supreme Court the Pittsburgh Press Want-Ad Discrimination case. That case resulted in the elimination of gender-segregated want-ads.

Judge Strassburger was appointed to the bench in 1978, elected with the nominations of both parties in 1979, and retained in 1989, 1999 and 2009. He served in the Family Division for fifteen (15) years, the last four (4) as Administrative Judge. From 1994 through 2010, he served in the Civil Division. He was the Calendar Control Judge from September, 1999 through 2010 and was Administrative Judge of the Civil Division from 2008 through 2010.

Judge Strassburger’s wife is a sociology professor. They have three children and two grandchildren.