Leech Tishman is pleased to announce that partner Jennifer Bierly was recently appointed as the Vice Chair of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania’s Domestic Relations Procedure Rules Committee. Bierly’s term will commence on September 1, 2020.
The Domestic Relations Procedural Rules Committee advises the Supreme Court on matters related to the procedural rules governing actions for divorce, support, custody, paternity and protection from abuse. The primary goal of the committee is to simplify family law practice by recommending new rules or amendments to existing procedural rules relating to family law matters. The committee reviews legislation and monitors court decisions to ensure that the rules conform to developments in the law and to the realities of family law practice. The committee strives to promote statewide uniformity of practice, to streamline procedures and to encourage the prompt disposition of family law matters.
Bierly is a member of the Litigation Practice Group and the Family Law Group. Based in the firm’s State College office, Bierly focuses her practice in the area of family law, representing clients in courts across the Commonwealth. Bierly regularly counsels clients during some of the most difficult times in their lives, assisting them with their legal needs in divorce, custody, support, protection from abuse, adoption and guardianship matters. She also has a wealth of experience in representing high-net worth clients throughout Pennsylvania in complex family law and financial matters.
Prior to joining Leech Tishman, Bierly was a partner with Babst Calland and also represented clients in her own Centre County, PA law firm, where she assisted individuals with a wide range of family law and litigation matters, including defending white-collar crimes. Bierly has practiced law in Pennsylvania since 1999, having spent a portion of that time serving the citizens of Centre County, PA as an Assistant District Attorney. While serving as an Assistant District Attorney, she prosecuted a variety of cases, including matters involving white collar theft crimes. Bierly is also a former law clerk to Senior Judge Charles C. Brown, Jr., former President Judge of the Centre County Court of Common Pleas.
“Serving on this committee is a huge honor and responsibility,” stated Pete A. Fuscaldo, managing partner of Leech Tishman. “Jennifer will be tasked with editing and creating new rules based on current issues facing the field of domestic relations, which will certainly have an impact on litigants as well as the profession. As a highly experienced family lawyer, we are confident Jennifer will do an outstanding job in this role.”
MORE ABOUT THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA DOMESTIC RELATIONS PROCEDURE RULES COMMITTEE
The committee originated in 1984 as a section of the Civil Procedural Rules Committee and became a separate committee in 1987. In 1997, the committee’s title was changed to the Domestic Relations Procedural Rules Committee. Committee members and staff speak at conferences and seminars to inform lawyers, court personnel and others of recent and proposed changes in procedural rules related to family law matters. The committee strives to maintain open channels of communication with those who work with or are affected by the rules it proposes, including judges, lawyers, court administrators, domestic relations section personnel, the Department of Public Welfare and the public.