Frederica Massiah-Jackson
Encyclopedia
Frederica Massiah-Jackson is a Philadelphia County
Court of Common Pleas judge
. She served as President Judge from November 2000 to January 2006.
Massiah-Jackson graduated from the Philadelphia High School for Girls
in three years at the age of 16. She also graduated from Chestnut Hill College
in three years and the University of Pennsylvania Law School
in 1974 at the age of 23.
Following law school, she was a law clerk
for Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Robert N.C. Nix, Jr. who later became Chief Justice of that court. She joined the Philadelphia firm Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley in 1976 and stayed with the firm until her election to the bench in 1983.
On July 31, 1997, President Bill Clinton
nominated her to be a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
. Her nomination was opposed by conservatives (such as editors at National Review
and Ann Coulter
) and law enforcement agencies
, including the Fraternal Order of Police
and National Association of Police Organizations. These groups charged that she was biased against whites and law enforcement agents, lacked a judicial temperament, and gave extraordinarily lenient sentences. Her proponents charged that these accusations were mainly fueled by right-wing politics and racism. On March 16, 1998, the day before the scheduled United States Senate
vote on her nomination, the nomination was withdrawn.
Honorable Frederica Massiah-Jackson was elected to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in 1983. She presides over medical malpractice and products liability cases, complex commercial litigation and personal injury matters. A graduate of Chestnut Hill College (A.B. 1971) and the University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D. 1974), the judge practiced corporate and civil litigation with the law firm of Blank Rome before advancing to the bench. She also worked with the Senate of Pennsylvania as Chief Counsel for the Senate Insurance and Business Committee. Judge Massiah-Jackson was a Lecturer at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania from 1992 to 2002, where she taught Legal Studies and Business Law.
During her years as President Judge (2001-2006), the First Judicial District administered justice with a $110 million overall budget, 2500 employees and 130 judges. Judge Massiah-Jackson was an effective leader, engaging the Philadelphia courts with innovative management and advances in technology. Access to Justice was the hallmark of the FJD during those five years as she enhanced the public perception of judges and the organization. Among many projects, the President Judge Emeritus coordinated court employee appreciation events, increased the pay rates for court-appointed counsel fees, signed a Mitigation Protocol for representation in death penalty cases, opened an FJD Information Center, expanded our Judicial Education initiatives, and implemented programs to promote race and gender fairness within our courtrooms.
In 2011, Philadelphia’s Mural Arts program partnered with Universal Companies to include the judge on a mural entitled “The Faces That Shape Us”. Judge Massiah-Jackson received the 2010 NAACP’s Cecil B. Moore Award. In 2007, the judge’s portrait was presented to the courts and has been hung in the Ceremonial Courtroom of City Hall. In 2006, she was chosen by the Pennsylvania Commission for Women as one of 50 women of color role models profiled in the book Voices. In 2005, she co-hosted Philadelphia's first Urban Courts Conference. She sits on the boards of Center for Literacy and Eagleville Hospital, and is a member of the Forum of Executive Women. She is a member and Past President of the Delaware Valley, Pa. Chapter of The Links, Inc. and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Judge Massiah-Jackson has received numerous awards and recognitions of service.
The Judge is the proud mother of Dr. Julia L. Jackson and Thomas H. Jackson, IV.
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
-History:Tribes of Lenape were the first known occupants in the area which became Philadelphia County. The first European settlers were Swedes and Finns who arrived in 1638. The Netherlands seized the area in 1655, but permanently lost control to England in 1674...
Court of Common Pleas judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
. She served as President Judge from November 2000 to January 2006.
Massiah-Jackson graduated from the Philadelphia High School for Girls
Philadelphia High School for Girls
The Philadelphia High School for Girls, also known as Girls' High, is a public university-preparatory magnet high school for girls in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. As its name suggests, the school's enrollment is all female....
in three years at the age of 16. She also graduated from Chestnut Hill College
Chestnut Hill College
Chestnut Hill College is a coeducational Roman Catholic college in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1924 as a women's college by the Sisters of St. Joseph. It was originally called Mount Saint Joseph College and assumed its current name in 1938. In...
in three years and the University of Pennsylvania Law School
University of Pennsylvania Law School
The University of Pennsylvania Law School, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania. A member of the Ivy League, it is among the oldest and most selective law schools in the nation. It is currently ranked 7th overall by U.S. News & World Report,...
in 1974 at the age of 23.
Following law school, she was a law clerk
Law clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
for Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Robert N.C. Nix, Jr. who later became Chief Justice of that court. She joined the Philadelphia firm Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley in 1976 and stayed with the firm until her election to the bench in 1983.
On July 31, 1997, President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
nominated her to be a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is one of the original 13 federal judiciary districts created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
. Her nomination was opposed by conservatives (such as editors at National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
and Ann Coulter
Ann Coulter
Ann Hart Coulter is an American lawyer, conservative social and political commentator, author, and syndicated columnist. She frequently appears on television, radio, and as a speaker at public events and private events...
) and law enforcement agencies
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
, including the Fraternal Order of Police
Fraternal Order of Police
The Fraternal Order of Police is an organization of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. It claims a membership of over 325,000 members organized in 2100 local chapters , organized into local lodges, state lodges, and the national Grand Lodge...
and National Association of Police Organizations. These groups charged that she was biased against whites and law enforcement agents, lacked a judicial temperament, and gave extraordinarily lenient sentences. Her proponents charged that these accusations were mainly fueled by right-wing politics and racism. On March 16, 1998, the day before the scheduled United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
vote on her nomination, the nomination was withdrawn.
Honorable Frederica Massiah-Jackson was elected to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in 1983. She presides over medical malpractice and products liability cases, complex commercial litigation and personal injury matters. A graduate of Chestnut Hill College (A.B. 1971) and the University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D. 1974), the judge practiced corporate and civil litigation with the law firm of Blank Rome before advancing to the bench. She also worked with the Senate of Pennsylvania as Chief Counsel for the Senate Insurance and Business Committee. Judge Massiah-Jackson was a Lecturer at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania from 1992 to 2002, where she taught Legal Studies and Business Law.
During her years as President Judge (2001-2006), the First Judicial District administered justice with a $110 million overall budget, 2500 employees and 130 judges. Judge Massiah-Jackson was an effective leader, engaging the Philadelphia courts with innovative management and advances in technology. Access to Justice was the hallmark of the FJD during those five years as she enhanced the public perception of judges and the organization. Among many projects, the President Judge Emeritus coordinated court employee appreciation events, increased the pay rates for court-appointed counsel fees, signed a Mitigation Protocol for representation in death penalty cases, opened an FJD Information Center, expanded our Judicial Education initiatives, and implemented programs to promote race and gender fairness within our courtrooms.
In 2011, Philadelphia’s Mural Arts program partnered with Universal Companies to include the judge on a mural entitled “The Faces That Shape Us”. Judge Massiah-Jackson received the 2010 NAACP’s Cecil B. Moore Award. In 2007, the judge’s portrait was presented to the courts and has been hung in the Ceremonial Courtroom of City Hall. In 2006, she was chosen by the Pennsylvania Commission for Women as one of 50 women of color role models profiled in the book Voices. In 2005, she co-hosted Philadelphia's first Urban Courts Conference. She sits on the boards of Center for Literacy and Eagleville Hospital, and is a member of the Forum of Executive Women. She is a member and Past President of the Delaware Valley, Pa. Chapter of The Links, Inc. and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Judge Massiah-Jackson has received numerous awards and recognitions of service.
The Judge is the proud mother of Dr. Julia L. Jackson and Thomas H. Jackson, IV.