News
The Honorable Daniel D. McCaffery Sworn-in as Newest Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
News Article
January 11, 2024
Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Debra Todd today officially welcomed Justice Daniel D. McCaffery as a member of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania following his ceremonial swearing-in ceremony.
Surrounded by his children, McCaffery took the oath of office administered by his brother, retired Supreme Court Justice Seamus McCaffery. McCaffery and his brother are the only two siblings to have served on the court in its 302-year history.
“This is a joyous and momentous occasion,” said Chief Justice Todd. “Justice McCaffery is eminently qualified to assume his position on the oldest Supreme Court in America. No one has worked harder to join our ranks and I have every confidence he will be a tremendous addition to the Court.”
Justice McCaffery is the 179th member to serve on the Court and the 16th Superior Court judge elected to the Supreme Court.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, McCaffery is the son of immigrants from Belfast in Northern Ireland. He attended Father Judge High School and following graduation, enlisted in the United States Army, serving with the First Cavalry Division. From active duty, Justice McCaffery was one of a select few chosen to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point Prep School before being honorably discharged and continuing his service with the Army Reserve, 304th Civil Affairs Unit.
McCaffery’s dedication to the practice of law and public service spans more than three decades, beginning with his time in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office serving as an Assistant District Attorney in the Major Trials Unit, where he prosecuted more than 50 jury trials and one thousand bench trials.
Following his service in the DA’s office, McCaffery entered private practice with Jaffe, Friedman, Schuman, Nemeroff and Applebaum PC where he became partner and chair of the commercial litigation department.
Focused on returning to his roots in public service, McCaffery was elected to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in 2013. During his tenure on the Common Pleas bench, he was assigned to one of the busiest trial divisions in the state, presiding over hundreds of jury trials and thousands of bench trials.
Seeking statewide judicial office, McCaffery was elected to the Superior Court in 2019 -- one of two intermediate appellate courts in the state and the busiest court of its kind in the nation, where he served until his installation on the high court. In addition to his time on the intermediate appellate bench, he was selected by the Supreme Court to serve on the state’s Court of Judicial Discipline.
McCaffery received his bachelor’s degree in broadcasting, telecommunications and mass media from Temple University in 1988 and his Juris Doctorate from the Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law in 1991. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Montgomery County Bar Association, the Philadelphia Bar Association, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Brehon Law Society, and the Philadelphia Emerald Society.
Established in 1722, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the oldest appellate court in the country and has played an important role in the history of the Commonwealth. As the state’s highest court, the seven justices make the final decisions interpreting Pennsylvania’s laws and Constitution, have full administrative authority over Pennsylvania’s judicial system and hear cases involving issues of immediate public importance arising in any court in the Commonwealth.
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