Chief Justice Debra Todd

Term

January 2018 to December 2027

Education

  • Chatham College, B.A. with honors, 1979
  • University of Pittsburgh School of Law, J.D., Law Review, 1982
  • University of Virginia School of Law, LL.M, 2004

Professional Experience

  • Litigation attorney, U.S. Steel Corp., 1982-87
  • Private law practice, 1987-99
  • Elected a judge of the Pennsylvania Superior Court, 1999
  • Elected a justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2007; Retained 2017

Memberships and Associations

  • Allegheny County Bar Association
  • Allegheny County Bar Foundation
  • Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County
  • American Law Institute
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania Bar Foundation
  • American Bar Association
  • National Association of Women Judges
  • International Association of Women Judges
  • Women’s Bar Association of Western Pennsylvania
  • Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Board of Directors
  • Pittsburgh Action Against Rape, Former Board Member, Past President
  • Leadership Pittsburgh Alumnae Board
  • Finnegan Foundation, Former Board Member

Awards and Honors

  • Outstanding Elected Democratic Woman of the year by the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women (2007)
  • The Legal Intelligencer Women in the Profession Woman of the Year Award (2007-2008)
  • Honorary Doctorate in Public Service by Chatham University (2008)
  • Cornerstone Award in Law from Chatham University (2009)
  • Philip Werner Amram Award for professional excellence and commitment to the ideals of the Allegheny County Bar Association as well as the betterment of the greater community (2010)
  • University of Pittsburgh Law Alumni Association‘s Distinguished Alumni Award (2012)
  • University of Pittsburgh’s 225th Anniversary Medallion, recognizing alumni who have built better lives through their life’s work (2013)
  • Tribute to Women Leadership Award in Business & Professional Service from the Greater Pittsburgh YWCA (2013)
  • Pitt Law Women’s Association’s Marjorie Matson Woman of the Year Award (2013)
  • Elected to the American Law Institute (ALI) (2014)
  • Amen Corner’s Judge Robert E. Dauer Award for Judicial Leadership and Excellence (2015)
  • Honored by Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network for her support of Access to Justice (2015)
  • Pittsburgh Action Against Rape Visionary Award recognizing individuals who have made a significant impact in the lives of survivors of sexual violence (2016)
  • Women’s Bar Association of Western Pennsylvania’s Susan B. Anthony Award for promoting equality in the legal profession (2017)
  • Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law’s Medallion Award (2017)
  • Honored by the Ellwood City Historical Society (2019)
  • Named Honorary Chair of the PBA Commission on Women in the Profession (2021)
  • The University of Pittsburgh School of Law’s Judge Ruggero J. Aldisert Distinguished Jurist Award (2022)
  • Named a Distinguished Alumni by the Ellwood City Area High School (2022)
  • Honorary Doctorate of Laws by Chatham University (2023)
  • Named a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania (2023)
  • Honoree of the Lawyers’ Club of Philadelphia (2023)
  • Named USA Today’s Woman of the Year for Pennsylvania (2024)
  • University of Pittsburgh Alumni Association’s Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award (2024)
  • Chatham University’s Distinguished Alumni Award (2024)
  • Philadelphia Bar Association’s Justice William J. Brennan Jr. Distinguished Jurist Award (2024)

Publications

  • Report and Recommendations of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Elder Law Task Force (Chair) (2014)
  • “Sentencing of Adult Offenders in Crimes Involving the Sexual Abuse of Children, Too Little, Too Late? A View from the Pennsylvania Bench.” 109 Penn State Law Review 487 (2004)
  • “Pennsylvania’s Progress on Elder Justice” ABA Judges’ Journal (Winter 2023)