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Cosgrove Named AOPC Chief Legal Counsel

News Article

November 20, 2013

A veteran Luzerne County attorney has been named chief legal counsel for the AOPC’s Legal Department, Court Administrator of Pennsylvania Zygmont A. Pines has announced.

Joseph Cosgrove, who briefly served on the Luzerne County bench, has more than 30 years of experience as a private practitioner, public defender, conflict counsel and educator. He succeeds A. Taylor Williams, who was named acting chief legal counsel after Howard Holmes retired earlier this year. Holmes, a 25-year veteran of the legal department, had been chief legal counsel since 2000.

“I am confident that Joe’s experience and expertise will benefit the AOPC and judiciary immensely,” Pines said. “I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the superior and dedicated efforts by Taylor during this time of transition.”

Cosgrove is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School. He received a master's degree in theology from Notre Dame, and a master of arts degree from Marywood University in Scranton. He also has been an adjunct faculty member at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre for more than 20 years and has served on the ethics committee at Misericordia University near Scranton.

In addition to providing general counsel to the Supreme Court and the AOPC, the Legal Department supports nearly 2,000 jurists and staff of Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System, primarily in the areas of litigation and administrative law.