Elect Judge Maria McLaughlin to the Pennsylvania Superior Court
2016-2017

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This was the official website for Judge Maria McLaughlin cam[paign to be elected as a judge for the Pennsylvania Superior Court. She won the 2017 Democratic Primary for Pennsylvania Superior Court and went on to eventually top the nine person field in the 2017 general election for Pennsylvania Superior Court with 14.9% of the vote. Her ten-year term expires on January 3, 2028.
Content is from the site's 2016 -2017 archived pages, as well as from other outside sources.

 

 

Constituent Comment: Lora Grey: The work she does with school children is remarkable and selfless. Her concerns are genuine. My son was studying the philosophy of DeCartes and she noticed the book he was carrying. The 2 of them proceeded to have a very engaged conversation about the notion of "nothing" and the views of DeCartes - this really happened. She also pointed him to a website that had more information on this topic. This is not the work of an ordinary politician. This is someone who cares about our kids.

 

Judge McLaughlin sponsors 8th grade field trip and mock trial for students from St. Philip Neri, Montgomery County.

 

The Honorable Maria McLaughlin is a Judge in the Court of Common Pleas, First Judicial District. Judge McLaughlin presides over both family law and criminal law matters.

Judge McLaughlin currently serves as the co-chair on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas FYI Committee and as the current vice-president of the Nicholas A. Cipriani Family Law American Inn of Court. She has on numerous occasions participated on judicial panels and has lectured for the Philadelphia Bar Association, the Delaware County Bar Association, PA Trial Lawyers Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. Judge McLaughlin has appeared as a guest on local television and radio shows to discuss a variety of family law topics.

Judge McLaughlin currently serves as the co-chair on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas FYI Committee and as the current vice-president of the Nicholas A. Cipriani Family Law American Inn of Court. She has on numerous occasions participated on judicial panels and has lectured for the Philadelphia Bar Association, the Delaware County Bar Association, PA Trial Lawyers Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. Judge McLaughlin has appeared as a guest on local television and radio shows to discuss a variety of family law topics.

Judge Mclaughlin participates in 2016 Recovery Walk in Philadelphia.

Judge McLaughlin is a member of the National Association of Women Judges, a member of the Widener University School of Law Alumni board, a longstanding board member of the “Do the Write Thing” national youth anti-violence campaign, and an Executive member of the Central High School’s Home and School Board. In addition to her judicial duties, Judge McLaughlin was an Acting City Commissioner for the 2015 elections.

Prior to being elected to the bench, Judge McLaughlin served as Chief Assistant District Attorney of the Child Support Enforcement Unit. She was an attorney in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office for 19 years. She was one of the youngest female Chiefs appointed by District Attorney Lynne Abraham.

Judge McLaughlin is a graduate of Widener University School of Law where she received her J.D. in 1992 and her B.S. from Penn State University in 1988. Judge McLaughlin is a member of both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Bar and was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the United States of America, the US District Court for the Eastern District to PA, the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the US District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Judge McLaughlin and her chairman Gov. Ed Rendell celebrate the holidays at Mark Segal’s party.

 

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Get involved with the Campaign

Paid for by Friends of Judge McLaughlin.

 

 

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More Background On McLaughlin4SuperiorCourt.com

 

McLaughlin4SuperiorCourt.com was the official campaign website created to support the election of Judge Maria McLaughlin to the Pennsylvania Superior Court. Active primarily during the 2016–2017 judicial election cycle, the website functioned as a centralized informational platform designed to educate voters about Judge McLaughlin’s professional background, judicial experience, and qualifications for statewide appellate office. Although the site is no longer maintained as a live campaign resource, its archived content remains valuable as a historical record of judicial campaigning in Pennsylvania during the mid-2010s.

Judicial campaign websites differ fundamentally from partisan political campaign sites. They are generally restrained in tone, focused on credentials rather than ideology, and structured to emphasize experience, fairness, and public service. McLaughlin4SuperiorCourt.com followed this model closely, offering voters a detailed and methodical presentation of the candidate’s career and civic involvement.

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Ownership and Campaign Organization

The website was owned and operated by the campaign committee known as Friends of Judge McLaughlin, which served as the official political committee for Judge McLaughlin’s Superior Court campaign. The site clearly identified itself as a paid political communication, in compliance with Pennsylvania election law and judicial campaign ethics standards.

Ownership of the site was limited strictly to the campaign period. It was not affiliated with any commercial business, nonprofit advocacy group, or governmental institution. Its purpose was informational rather than promotional in the commercial sense, reflecting the ethical boundaries that govern judicial elections.

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Purpose and Goals of the Website

The primary goal of McLaughlin4SuperiorCourt.com was voter education. Judicial elections often present challenges for voters due to limited public familiarity with candidates and the nonpartisan nature of general election ballots. The website sought to bridge this gap by providing clear, comprehensive information about Judge McLaughlin’s qualifications and professional history.

Key goals included:

• Presenting a transparent account of the candidate’s legal and judicial experience
• Demonstrating readiness for appellate-level decision-making
• Highlighting endorsements and professional evaluations
• Encouraging civic participation through volunteering and voter engagement
• Reinforcing the importance of integrity, fairness, and judicial temperament

The site avoided policy promises or partisan messaging, instead emphasizing the rule of law and public service.

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Historical Context: The 2017 Superior Court Election

The 2017 Pennsylvania Superior Court election was a highly competitive statewide contest. Multiple judicial seats were open, attracting a large and diverse field of candidates. Judicial elections in Pennsylvania involve partisan primaries followed by nonpartisan general elections, a structure that places significant importance on name recognition and perceived qualifications.

Judge McLaughlin won the Democratic primary and advanced to the general election, where she ultimately placed first among a nine-candidate field. Her election secured a ten-year term on the Superior Court, reflecting broad statewide voter support.

McLaughlin4SuperiorCourt.com played a central role during this period by consolidating information that might otherwise have been fragmented across news coverage and legal community discussions.

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Biography and Professional Background

A major portion of the website was dedicated to detailing Judge McLaughlin’s professional journey. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she emphasized her lifelong connection to the city and her understanding of the communities served by Pennsylvania’s courts.

Her legal career began in the early 1990s, following completion of her law degree. She spent nearly two decades in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, where she served as a prosecutor and later rose to the position of Chief Assistant District Attorney in the Child Support Enforcement Unit. In that role, she oversaw enforcement efforts that resulted in the collection of millions of dollars in unpaid child support for families in need.

The website highlighted her reputation for diligence, organization, and fairness, traits presented as essential for appellate judicial service.

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Judicial Experience

Judge McLaughlin was elected to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in 2011, where she presided over both family law and criminal matters. The site emphasized the breadth of her courtroom experience, noting her familiarity with complex legal issues, procedural fairness, and litigant rights.

Her work in family court received particular attention. The website described her involvement in cases affecting children and families, underscoring her understanding of how judicial decisions directly affect lives beyond the courtroom.

This trial-level judicial experience was presented as a strong foundation for appellate review, where judges must evaluate lower court decisions with precision and balance.

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Education and Legal Credentials

McLaughlin4SuperiorCourt.com included a detailed summary of Judge McLaughlin’s educational background. She earned her law degree from Widener University School of Law and completed her undergraduate education at Pennsylvania State University.

The site also listed her admissions to practice before multiple courts, including federal courts and the Supreme Court of the United States. These credentials were presented to demonstrate both technical legal competence and professional standing within the legal community.

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Endorsements and Professional Recognition

Endorsements played a significant role on the website. Judge McLaughlin received support from a wide range of organizations, including labor unions, civic groups, and political committees across party lines. This bipartisan support was emphasized as evidence of her broad appeal and professional respect.

The site also noted her favorable rating from the Pennsylvania Bar Association, a key credential in judicial elections. Such ratings are often influential with voters seeking objective evaluations of candidates’ qualifications.

Awards and honors from legal and community organizations were also listed, reinforcing the image of a jurist with a long-standing commitment to service.

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Community Involvement and Public Service

Beyond her courtroom responsibilities, the website highlighted Judge McLaughlin’s extensive community involvement. She was shown participating in educational outreach, youth programs, and anti-violence initiatives.

Examples included sponsoring student field trips, participating in mock trials for middle school students, and supporting programs focused on domestic violence prevention and recovery. These activities were framed as extensions of her judicial philosophy: that courts exist to serve people, not just process cases.

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Content Structure and Navigation

Structurally, McLaughlin4SuperiorCourt.com was straightforward and functional. Typical sections included:

• Biography
• Experience
• Endorsements
• News and press mentions
• Volunteer opportunities
• Contact and campaign information

The design prioritized clarity and readability over visual complexity. This simplicity aligned with the expectations of judicial campaign ethics and reinforced the seriousness of the candidacy.

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Public Reception and Reviews

Public reaction to Judge McLaughlin’s candidacy, as reflected in commentary reproduced on the site and in media coverage, was largely positive. Supporters frequently cited her experience, temperament, and fairness.

Some commentary addressed the realities of statewide judicial elections, including discussions of name recognition and political relationships. The website did not engage directly with criticism, instead maintaining a consistent focus on qualifications and service.

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Press and Media Coverage

McLaughlin4SuperiorCourt.com included references to media coverage of Judge McLaughlin’s campaign announcement and public appearances. Coverage emphasized her legal background, endorsements from prominent officials, and the breadth of her support across Pennsylvania.

Media attention also highlighted her role as a Philadelphia judge entering a statewide race, framing her candidacy as an opportunity to bring urban courtroom experience to the appellate bench.

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Audience and Intended Users

The website was designed for a broad audience, including:

• Pennsylvania voters seeking information on judicial candidates
• Members of the legal community
• Civic organizations and volunteers
• Journalists and researchers covering judicial elections

Its language was accessible to non-lawyers while still detailed enough to satisfy legally informed readers.

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Cultural and Social Significance

As an archival artifact, McLaughlin4SuperiorCourt.com illustrates how judicial candidates navigated the tension between democratic elections and judicial impartiality. The site demonstrates how experience, ethics, and community service were foregrounded over ideology or rhetoric.

It also reflects broader trends in judicial campaigning during the 2010s, including increased transparency, emphasis on bar association ratings, and outreach to voters unfamiliar with judicial roles.

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Legacy and Archival Importance

Although the campaign has long concluded, the website remains relevant as a historical document. It provides insight into the career of a sitting appellate judge and serves as a case study in judicial campaign communication.

For researchers, historians, and legal scholars, McLaughlin4SuperiorCourt.com offers a snapshot of how judicial legitimacy and public trust were articulated during a specific moment in Pennsylvania’s legal history.

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