Pennsylvania state Supreme Court Justice Debra Todd leads members of the court to Josh Shapiro's inauguration as Pennsylvania's 48th governor on Tuesday at the state Capitol in Harrisburg. Todd, who has been leading the high court since former Chief Justice Max Baer died late last year, will be formally installed in a ceremony set for Pittsburgh on Friday. She is the first woman to serve as the court's chief justice. The Patriot-News via AP

Joe Hermitt

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania state Supreme Court Justice Debra Todd will be formally installed as chief justice in a ceremony set for Friday afternoon in a downtown Pittsburgh hotel.

The daughter of a steelworker who grew up in Ellwood City, Todd has been serving for months as the first woman to be the court’s top-ranking jurist. She administered the oath of office to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro in Harrisburg on Tuesday.

Chief Justice Max Baer’s death in late September 2022 elevated Todd to the court’s top spot because she has served longer than any of her colleagues.

A Democrat, Todd was elected to the high court in 2007 after eight years on Superior Court, where she handled civil and criminal appeals from county courts. The 65-year-old graduated from Pitt Law, and she has worked as a lawyer for 18 years, including five years as a litigator for USX Corp.

Todd lives in Pittsburgh and has three children.