Debra Todd
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Debra McCloskey Todd (born October 15, 1957) is an American lawyer who serves as the chief justice of the
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the highest court in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Judiciary of Pennsylvania, Unified Judicial System. It began in 1684 as the Provincial Court, and casual references to it as ...
. Prior to her election to the Supreme Court in 2007, she served as a judge on the
Superior Court of Pennsylvania The Superior Court of Pennsylvania is one of two Pennsylvania intermediate appellate courts (the other being the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania). It is based in Harrisburg. Jurisdiction The Superior Court hears appeals in criminal and mos ...
from 2000 through 2007. She is a member of the Democratic Party.


Formative years and family

Born in
Ellwood City, Pennsylvania Ellwood City is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough primarily in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States. With a small district extending into Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Beaver County, it lies along the Connoquenessing Creek just east of i ...
, on October 15, 1957, as Debra McCloskey, Debra Todd is a daughter of Harry and Blanche McCloskey. She and her sisters, Mary and Nancy, were reared in that Wayne Township borough, which is located in Lawrence County. Their father was a steelworker. She is married to Stephen K. Todd, a former attorney for the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
who retired from the U.S. Army Reserve at the rank of colonel, and who had been an attorney for U.S. Steel for thirty-one years before retiring in 2007 as vice president of law and environmental affairs.


Education

A 1975 graduate of Lincoln High School in Ellwood City, Todd was awarded a
Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
degree with honors from Chatham College in 1979, served on the Law Review in 1982 at the
University of Pittsburgh School of Law The University of Pittsburgh School of Law (Pitt Law) is the law school of the University of Pittsburgh, a public research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1895 and became a charter member of the Association of American ...
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she earned her
Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...
that same year, and was then awarded a
Master of Laws A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is a postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in another subject. In many jurisdi ...
from the
University of Virginia School of Law The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law) is the law school of the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 as part of his "academical village", and now ...
in 2004.


Legal career

Todd worked in private practice from 1982 to 1999. During the fall of 1999, she ran for, and was elected to the position of, judge on the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, serving from January 17, 2000, to December 31, 2007. She was elected to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in 2007. On May 19, 2017, Todd delivered the Charles Widger School of Law’s 2017 Commencement Address at Villanova University, and was also awarded the Villanova Law Medallion Award in recognition of her achievements. On October 1, 2022, she became the first female chief justice of the state Supreme Court, replacing Max Baer who died a day earlier. Roughly three weeks later, she issued her first major letter to Pennsylvania attorneys, in which she urged them to support pro bono legal work across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.


Publications

Todd's list of publications includes: *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


Awards and honors

Todd has been the recipient of the following awards:"Chief Justice Debra Todd]," The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania. *Susan B. Anthony Award for promoting equality in the legal profession, Women’s Bar Association of Western Pennsylvania, 2017 *Visionary Award in recognition of an individual who has made a significant impact in the lives of survivors of sexual violence, Pittsburgh Action Against Rape, 2016 *Judge Robert E. Dauer Award for Judicial Leadership and Excellence, Amen Corner, 2015 *225th Anniversary Medallion recognizing alumni who have built better lives through their life’s work, University of Pittsburgh, 2013 *Marjorie Matson Woman of the Year Award, Women's Association, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, 2013 *Tribute to Women Leadership Award in Business & Professional Services, Greater Pittsburgh YWCA, 2013 *Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Pittsburgh Law Alumni Association, 2012 *Philip Werner Amram Award for Professional Excellence, Allegheny County Bar Association, 2010 *Cornerstone Award for Law, Chatham University, 2009 *Honorary Doctorate in Public Service, Chatham University, 2008 *Celebrate & Share Women of Achievement Award, 2008 *Woman of the Year Award, The Legal Intelligencer Women in the Profession, 2007-2008 *Woman of the Year, Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women, 2007


References


External links


Superior Court ProfileDebra Todd Project Vote Smart ProfileDebra Todd Smart Voter Profile
* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Todd, Debra 1957 births 20th-century American lawyers 21st-century American judges 21st-century American lawyers 21st-century American women judges Chatham University alumni Chief justices of Pennsylvania Living people Judges of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania Justices of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Democrats People from Ellwood City, Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh School of Law alumni University of Virginia School of Law alumni Women chief justices of state supreme courts in the United States