WHEREAS, the Honorable Idee C. Fox grew up in South Philadelphia and was the first in her family to attend college, eventually earning an undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and then a law degree from the Washington University in St. Louis School of Law; and

WHEREAS, Judge Fox was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1977 and, after many years in private practice, was elected to the bench of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County in 1995, beginning her tenure in 1996, and was thereafter retained in 2005 and 2015; and

WHEREAS, in her tenure on the bench, Judge Fox served in the Domestic Relations Division of Family Court, including five years as supervising judge thereof, before transferring to the Civil Trial Division in 2008 and serving as supervising judge of that division from 2016 through 2018; and

WHEREAS, Judge Fox was elected president judge of the First Judicial District in 2018 for a five year term expiring this year; and

WHEREAS, Judge Fox’s tenure as president judge was a consequential and meaningful one, marked by significant reforms and improvements in court operations, education and training of new judges, supervision of 93 other judges and courageous actions in the face of adversity, including a cybersecurity incident, multiple election challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, Judge Fox has served the Philadelphia Bar Association honorably in multiple capacities, including meaningful participation in its Commission on Judicial Selection & Retention and its Women in the Profession Committee; and

WHEREAS, Judge Fox has received numerous awards and recognitions for her contributions to the legal community, including the Herbert R. Weiman, Jr. Award from the Family Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association, the Equal Justice Award from Community Legal Services, and the Justice Brennan Distinguished Jurist Award; and

WHEREAS, Judge Fox has been an outstanding role model and mentor as an accomplished lawyer, jurist and groundbreaking member of the LGBTQ+ community; and

WHEREAS, Judge Fox has expressed her intention to resign from the bench at the end of this year and will be sorely missed in that role; and

WHEREAS, in addition to her numerous professional accomplishments, Judge Fox is renowned for her warm and gracious demeanor, integrity, candor, good humor, unflappable nature and her commitment to fairness and equity.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Philadelphia Bar Association adopts this resolution in recognition of the character, contributions and achievements of President Judge Fox, and in honor of a beloved and respected colleague, jurist and friend to all, who has earned our boundless respect and admiration.

PHILADELPHIA BAR ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
ADOPTED: October 26, 2023