Biography
Judge Susan Peikes Gantman earned both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. She then attended Villanova University School of Law and graduated in 1977. After her clerkship at the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, Judge Gantman was a solicitor for the Montgomery County Office of Children and Youth, and later served as an Assistant District Attorney for Montgomery County before entering private practice in 1981. She was a strong advocate for children and other victims of abuse and earned an award from the Montgomery County Bar for furthering women’s legal rights and advancing the role of women in the legal field.
She later became a partner at Sherr, Joffe & Zuckerman and was chair of the Domestic Relations Section. She stayed for seven years until becoming a senior member and co-chair at Cozen O’Connor. In 2003, she was elected to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania and won retention for another ten years, until her retirement in 2021. She was elected the President Judge in 2013 and served in that capacity form 2014 through 2019.
Following her retirement, she was appointed to the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board. She also served on the Board of the National Association of Women Judges, instructed classes and presented lectures at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy and the Department of Public Welfare.