Biography
Judge John L. Musmanno was born on March 31, 1942. His academic achievements were outstanding. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington & Jefferson College, graduated magna cum laude, and where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest academic honor society in the United States dating back to 1776. He received a Juris Doctor Degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law, where he was the assistant editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review.
Judge Musmanno served as a District Justice from 1970 to 1981. He was then elected to the Allegheny Court of Common Pleas in 1981. He served as the Administrative Judge for Civil Division. He was elected to the Superior in Court in 1997 and served until his retirement in 2012 at the age of 70. During his retention election, the Pennsylvania Bar Association endorsed him, describing him as “highly regarded for his intelligence, courteousness, fairness, judicial temperament and professionalism.”
During his judicial tenure, he was appointed to the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board where he served from 2001 to 2005. He was then appointed to the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline where he was eventually elected the President Judge.
His achievements include receiving the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association President’s Award, as well as the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County award in 1993, and the W. Edward Sell Achievement in Law Award from Washington & Jefferson College in 2008.