WHEREAS, the Honorable Frederica Massiah-Jackson was born on November 10, 1950 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, Judge Massiah-Jackson attended Julia R. Masterman School in Philadelphia and completed seventh and eighth grade in one year; and

WHEREAS, Judge Massiah-Jackson graduated from the Philadelphia High School for Girls in 1967 and earned a Bachelor’s degree from Chestnut Hill College in 1971; and

WHEREAS, Judge Massiah-Jackson earned a Juris Doctor from University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School in 1974 and, while in law school, wrote briefs and conducted legal research for distinguished Philadelphians in the legal community including Judge Curtis Carson, Jr., Judge Charles Dunham, Philadelphia City Council Member Cecil B. Moore, Frank Stanley, Esquire, Sam Dashiell, Esquire, and Calvin Wilson, Esquire; and

WHEREAS, Judge Massiah-Jackson served as a law clerk for Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Robert N.C. Nix, Jr. for two years after law school before Her Honor joined Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley in Philadelphia where Judge Massiah-Jackson’s practice areas involved securities and anti-trust law; and

WHEREAS, Judge Massiah-Jackson also served as Chief Counsel of the Senate Insurance and Business Committee which was headed by Pennsylvania State Senator Freeman Hankins; and

WHEREAS, at age 32, Judge Massiah-Jackson was elected to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and began Her Honor’s many years of public service as a judge; and

WHEREAS, Judge Massiah-Jackson was only one of five women on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in 1984; and

WHEREAS, Judge Massiah-Jackson became the first African American woman to preside over civil trials in Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, in 2001, Judge Massiah-Jackson became the first African American President Judge of Philadelphia County and of any county in Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, in this leadership role, Judge Massiah-Jackson set forth many improvements to the First Judicial District, including but not limited to the opening of the District’s first Information Center, the establishment of important Mitigation Protocol in death penalty cases, the expansion of judicial education, the increase in compensation for court-appointed counsel, and the initiation of programs to promote race and gender equity in the courts; and

WHEREAS, Judge Massiah-Jackson, as President Judge, effectively oversaw 130 judges, 2500 employees, and a $110 million budget; and

WHEREAS, from 1992 to 2002, Judge Massiah-Jackson lectured on legal studies and business law at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, Judge Massiah-Jackson has received numerous honors and well-deserved recognition for Her Honor’s outstanding service and impactful contributions, including but not limited to:

1. Receiving the 2002 Justice Michael A. Musmanno Award from the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers;
2. Being featured in the 2006 Pennsylvania Commission for Women book, Voices, as one of 50 women of color;
3. Being honored in 2007 with Her Honor’s portrait being presented to the First Judicial District (and the portrait being currently displayed in the Ceremonial Courtroom in City Hall);
4. Receiving the 2010 Cecil B. Moore Award from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People;
5. Being depicted in the 2011 Philadelphia Mural Arts program mural entitled, “The Faces that Shape Us;”
6. Receiving the 2013 Alumni Award of Merit from the University of Pennsylvania Law Carey School;
7. Being highlighted for Her Honor’s exceptional achievements by Allener Baker-Rogers and Fasaha Traylor in their 2020 book, They Carried Us: The Social Impact of Philadelphia’s Black Women Leaders; and
8. Receiving an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law in 2021; and

WHEREAS, in 2021, the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section established the Honorable Frederica Massiah-Jackson Community Justice Engagement Award, which honors the work of individuals or organizations which have succeeded in promoting justice in and for communities and individuals before, during, or after entry into the criminal justice system; and

WHEREAS, Judge Massiah-Jackson was a long-time member and tremendous supporter of the Philadelphia Bar Association and often attended the State Civil Litigation Section meetings and programs; and

WHEREAS, Judge Massiah-Jackson was a member of the Forum of Executive Women, a past President of the Delaware Valley Chapter of The Links, Inc., a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and a member of the Friends of the University of Natal in South Africa; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association, on behalf of the Association’s entire membership, extends its heartfelt condolences to Judge Massiah-Jackson’s family and friends on their loss and joins with others in mourning the loss of this distinguished public servant and respected leader; and

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Philadelphia Bar Association adopts this Resolution in recognition of the exceptional character and impactful contributions of Judge Massiah-Jackson as a respected jurist, devoted family member, and kind friend and mentor; and

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution be presented to Judge Massiah-Jackson’s family in recognition of Her Honor’s exemplary life and work, as Her Honor is an inspiration and true example of the excellence of a Philadelphia Lawyer.

PHILADELPHIA BAR ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
ADOPTED: October 23, 2025