A Letter From Judge Candidate Nancy Walker

The following was submitted to Radnor Patch for publication by Nancy Walker, a candidate for Judge for the Court of Common Pleas in Delaware County.

The last time I wrote to you I had just started campaigning. As a stranger to politics, my message focused almost completely on my credentials and experience. While those credentials and experiences remain, over the last six months getting to know the residents of Delaware County, I know there is something even more important that I can bring to the bench: Fairness.

The Court of Common Pleas is where child custody disputes are resolved, where the fate of a first-time juvenile offender will be decided and where homeowners and mortgage companies litigate foreclosures. The kind of cases that come before the Court may not be glamorous, but they are deeply personal to the parties involved. I can promise that everyone who comes before my Court will be treated with respect and will be given what they deserve—a fair shake. In my Courtroom, it will not matter how much money you make, or where you live, or your party affiliation.

While fairness and impartiality are profoundly important in making decisions from the bench, a judge must also have the legal expertise necessary to apply the laws of the Commonwealth to the facts of cases.

I earned my Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Pittsburgh, where I served as an Executive Editor on the University of Pittsburgh Law Review, interned for a federal judge and advocated for dependent children as part of a child abuse and neglect clinic. Since law school, I have spent over 20 years representing working women and men. Most notably, I represented the American Postal Workers Union during the 2001 anthrax crisis and I was part of the team that filed the very first Americans with Disabilities lawsuit in Pennsylvania. In addition to fighting for working women and men, I am a volunteer child advocate and have worked to guarantee that students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education.

I haven’t spent my career representing companies or playing politics; I’ve spend my career serving the under- and unrepresented and it has been my honor and privilege to be recognized for that service: I was recently honored as a Distinguished Advocate by the Support Center for Child Advocates, named a “Top Lawyer” by Main Line Today and elected to the prestigious College of Labor of Employment Lawyers by my peers. I have earned the recommendation of the Pennsylvania State Education Association representing public school employees throughout the County, the endorsement of AFSCME District Council 88 representing employees in the County Courthouse, UFCW Local 1776, Plumbers Union Local 690, the Communications Workers of America, Teamsters at the state and regional levels, and from other unions representing tens of thousands of workers. I have also received endorsements from several important figures in local politics, including former Governor Ed Rendell, Congressmen Bob Brady and Representative Greg Vitali.

They know that I have what it takes to serve the residents of Delaware County fairly, thoughtfully and with integrity. I promise that each person who comes before the Court will be treated with fairness and respect, regardless whether the person is a witness, victim, juror, an accused person or an attorney. I pledge to be prepared for each case that I hear, to listen to all sides without bias, to equally apply the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and to abide by our Constitution. It will be my honor to serve the residents of Delaware County and I ask you to please cast a vote for Nancy Walker on November 5th, 2013.

For more information, please contact the campaign at contact@walkerforjudge.org, or visit www.walkerforjudge.org.