Alternative Ways to Pick Judges
Alternative Ways to Pick Judges
This workshop will discuss the pros and cons of the current judicial selection process in PA, other states judicial selection processes and why it is important to create a process that eliminates partisan political elections and the influences of campaigning.
Location: JES, 3207 State St. Erie, PA 16508
Date/Time: Wednesday, July 20 12 p.m.
Admission: FREE, lunch optional $5/person
Parking: lot behind building, street parking
Phil Friedman, Esq., is a partner at Conner Riley Friedman & Weichler based in Erie, Pennsylvania, Philip B. Friedman has a well-deserved reputation as a superior trial attorney. Representing clients throughout Pennsylvania, he focuses his practice on federal and state criminal defense and personal injury and wrongful death litigation. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a former chairman of the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. He is a past president of the Erie County Bar Association and a past member of the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Mr. Friedman attended Washington and Jefferson College and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in political science in 1975. He received his legal education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and obtained his Juris Doctorate in 1978. Admitted to practice in both Pennsylvania and New York.
Deborah Gross, Esq., comes to Pennsylvania for Modern Courts from over 35 years of private legal practice in federal and state courts all over the country concentrating on complex commercial litigation. She was Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association in 2017 and focused her efforts during the city’s extraordinary legal nonprofit community. She spoke out on behalf of the Philadelphia Bar Association on the importance of judicial independence as the cornerstone of democracy and both received a commendation proclamation from the Mayor as a result of the work they did to train lawyers to assist lawful permanent residents in becoming naturalized citizens. Debbie also served as President of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation in 2013 and 2014, and as a Trustee of the Foundation from 2004-2020 and served on the Bar Foundation's Fundraising, Grants, and Finance Committees. She has served on the boards of many organizations such as Drexel's Kline School of Law, the Public Interest Law Center, Philly VIP, Temple Adath Israel of the Main Line, Women's Philanthropy of Jewish Federation. Debbie teaches at the Villanova University School of Law and received her J.D. from Boston University School of Law and her B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
