News

Changes announced to Supreme Court’s racial and gender bias follow-up

March 25, 2003

HARRISBURG, March 26, 2003 — Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Ralph J. Cappy today announced several organizational changes in planned follow up efforts for the recently released report of the Supreme Court’s Committee on Racial and Gender Bias. “Three weeks ago, we announced the establishment of two task groups, one with regard to issues of gender bias and the other concerning racial and ethnic bias, that will study the committee’s final report and recommend to the Supreme Court the means of implementing its provisions,” Cappy said. “As we began to gear up for this second effort, several additional organizational needs were identified for the gender bias task group and the practical realities for one of our already very committed participants became more clear.” Cappy announced that U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Marjorie Rendell, also now Pennsylvania’s First Lady, has reluctantly concluded that her duties on the federal appellate bench in combination with her new duties as First Lady will preclude her additional service as chair of the gender bias task group. “At the time that I agreed to assist the Court in its plans for implementation of its report, I did so without fully appreciating the scope and breadth of the undertaking (and the extent of the time commitment it could entail), nor had I fully considered new demands on my time as a result of duties I am undertaking as First Lady,” Judge Rendell said. Cappy said he regretted Judge Rendell’s decision, but accepted it as an illustration of practical reality. “Even for someone as accomplished as is Judge Rendell, there are limits to what any single person can be asked to contribute in public service,” Cappy said. “I appreciate her initial enthusiasm to serve, as well as her early recognition of the unique challenges which face her in two already timeintensive positions. While she will not be an active participant in reviewing the committee’s work, I know that Judge Rendell’s good wishes extend to those who will do so. “In Judge Rendell’s stead, I am pleased to appoint as chair of the gender task group another superbly qualified Pennsylvanian, state Superior Court Judge Maureen Lally-Green,” Cappy said. Judge Lally-Green has served on the Superior Court since 1998, having first been appointed to serve by former Gov. Tom Ridge and then elected to a full term two years later. Prior to her appointment, Judge Lally-Green enjoyed a distinguished 20-year career in private legal practice and as a professor at Duquesne University’s School of Law. At Duquesne, among courses she taught were Federal Employment Discrimination and Federal Labor Law and Employment Discrimination. Judge Lally-Green was a member of the Supreme Court’s Committee on Racial and Gender Bias and served on its subcommittee on gender discrimination. She has been a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Commission on Women in the Profession as well. Her professional and community activities are numerous, as are her publication credits, and she has been the recipient of a variety of awards, including Chatham College’s President’s Medal and Duquesne’s Distinguished Alumna Award. In addition to appointing Judge Lally-Green, Chief Justice Cappy also announced two additional appointments to the gender task group, The Hon. John Cleland and Charisse Lilly, Esq., and the redesignation of Duquesne Law School Dean Nicholas P. Cafardi as an ad hoc member of both the gender and ethnic and racial bias task groups. Judge Cleland has been the president judge of Pennsylania’s 48th Judicial District (McKean County) since 1984 and is widely regarded throughout Pennsylvania’s legal and judicial communities. Prior to his judicial service, he was in the private practice of law. For eight years, Judge Cleland served as co-chair of the education committee of the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges with responsibility for planning continuing education for Pennsylvania’s trial judiciary. He has served on numerous statewide court committees and task forces and is the recipient of two major awards: the President’s Distinguished Service Award from the state trial judges’ conference and the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Clarity in Writing Award. Ms. Lillie is a partner with Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, in Philadelphia where she is chair of the litigation department and a member of the employment and labor law group. Her prior experience is diverse, including service as City Solicitor for the city of Philadelphia, as an Assistant United States Attorney, professor at Villanova University Law School, and as a trial attorney for the civil rights division of the U.S. Justice Department. She is a frequent lecturer and panelist regarding diversity, civil rights, employment discrimination and affirmative action issues; was chair of the American Bar Association Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession; and currently serves as co-chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Racial Bias in the Justice System Committee. Dean Cafardi, who had previously been appointed to serve as a member of the gender task group will now serve in an ad hoc capacity on both the gender and ethnic and racial task groups and work to “cross coordinate” and facilitate resolution of issues between the two. “My colleagues and I are enormously pleased that these appointees will join our distinguished, previously announced participants as members of the two task groups,” Cappy said. “It’s clear from the organizational work that has already taken place that the task groups’ review of the original report will be thoughtful and thorough.”