HARRISBURG (May 10, 2010) - The Pennsylvania Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee will honor Pennsylvania Superior Court President Judge Kate Ford Elliott with its Special Recognition Award for her commitment to promoting the practice of alternative dispute resolution in Pennsylvania. The award will be presented during the association's annual meeting May 13 in Hershey.
Judge Ford Elliott created the Superior Court's appellate mediation program and is a former vice chair of the court's Pennsylvania Futures Commission on Justice in the 21st Century.
She is a member of the PBA and its Appellate Advocacy Committee. She is a past member of the PBA Commission for Justice Initiatives and the Appellate Advocacy Rules Subcommittee. She is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association and past chairperson of its Appellate Practice Committee. She also is a member of the American Bar Association Judicial Administration Division.
Judge Ford Elliott is president-elect of the Council of Chief Judges of the State Courts of Appeal. She is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a member of the National Association of Women Judges and a member of the American Judicature Society. She has served on the Executive Board of the ABA Committee of Appellate Staff Attorneys and is a frequent lecturer on issues of Appellate Practice and Procedure.
She was elected judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania in November 1989 and retained in 1999 and 2009. Judge Ford Elliott became president judge of the Superior Court in January 2006.
Judge Ford Elliot earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh, a master's degree from Duquesne University and a juris doctor degree from Duquesne School of Law.
Founded in 1895, the Pennsylvania Bar Association strives to promote justice, professional excellence and respect for the law; improve public understanding of the legal system; facilitate access to legal services; and serve the 29,000 lawyers who are members of the association.