Debra Todd, first woman state Chief Justice, sworn in Friday
Ellwood City native and former resident of Cranberry Township Debra Todd formally assumed the role as Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in a swearing-in ceremony Friday in Pittsburgh, becoming the first woman Chief Justice in the 300-year history of the court.
Todd has been a member of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court since she was elected in 2007, making her the judge with the longest continuous service on the court. On Oct. 1, the former Cranberry Township resident was appointed Chief Justice of the court, the day Chief Justice Max Baer died at age 74.
While she has been fulfilling the duties of the role since October, Todd was formally sworn in Friday, and commented that she could not have made it to the position without the many trailblazing women who came before her.
“It means the world to me to take the oath like so many distinguished jurists before me, while forging new ground for women and reaffirming my commitment to support, obey and defend the Constitution of the United States and of this commonwealth,” Todd said. “My path to this point has been guided by a belief which was instilled in me at an early age — that with hard work and dedication, little girls could achieve anything.”
The daughter of a steelworker and homemaker, Todd was born and raised in Ellwood City, Lawrence County, and developed a dream of becoming a lawyer at an early age after working as a filing clerk for a local private attorney. Reflecting on the earliest days of her career, Todd recalled being fascinated by the legal process and inspired when her employer encouraged her to become a lawyer.
Todd would go on to attend then Chatham College, earning her undergraduate degree with honors in political science and theater, moving on to the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where she was a member of the Law Review. She later finally earned her LLM degree in the Judicial Process from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Upon graduation, she began her career as an in-house litigation attorney for U.S. Steel Corporation before maintaining a trial practice in Pittsburgh with an emphasis in complex civil litigation, according to a news release from the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.
According to Todd, her path to the bench from private practice was “exciting and challenging.” She said she looks forward to overseeing legal cases at the highest level.
“Every case is of equal importance,” Todd said. “While some may be more high-profile than others, still others have greater consequences for people. We never lose sight of the impact that we have on the lives of all Pennsylvanians.”
Several local law officials attended Todd’s inauguration, including District Judge Sue Haggerty and District Judge Amy Marcinkiewicz.
Haggerty said she has known Todd for about a dozen years. She said she has always been inspired by Todd’s professionalism and work ethic.
“I'm not for Republicans, not for Democrats — I'm for the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania,” Haggerty said. “She got to where she's at because she has an awesome work-ethic and a wonderful reputation.”
Having been a judge for just over a year, Marcinkiewicz said she only met Todd a short time ago, but was happy to not only be invited to her swearing-in ceremony, but to be recognized immediately.
“She made an impact right away, just her personality,” Marcinkiewicz said. “I'm a new judge, but she remembers everybody. She saw me and said, ‘Amy, thank you for coming.’”
Haggerty also said Todd’s personality is evident in her work and personal life.
“That comes from everybody who speaks with her — very personable, very nice,” Haggerty said. “She's just a wholesome person who loves her family.”
Being a relatively new judge, Marcinkiewicz said she was inspired Friday to pursue further development not only as a justice, but as a person.
“What it means for me, our daughters and our granddaughters, is you can have it all,” Marcinkiewicz said. “You can be a mom, you can be a worker, and you can be kind and still get the corner office.”
Todd echoed Marcinkiewicz’s sentiment of encouraging other women to reach for higher positions in public service in her remarks at the ceremony.
“I realize I’m the first female chief justice, but I know I won’t be the last,” Todd said.
