Doris Smith-Ribner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Doris A. Smith-Ribner (born 1945) is a former judge of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court.[3][4][5][6]
Doris A. Smith-Ribner | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court | |
| In office January 3, 1988 – July 31, 2009[1] | |
| Succeeded by | Johnny J. Butler[2] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Doris A. Smith 1945 (age 80–81) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Paul Ribner |
| Children | 1 daughter |
| Alma mater | University of Pittsburgh (Juris Doctor, 1972) |
Formative years and family
Born in 1945, Doris Smith attended the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor in 1972.[3][7]
Smith-Ribner and her husband, former Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Paul Ribner, have one daughter.[3]
Public service career
Following her graduation from law school, Smith-Ribner entered into private law practice in Allegheny County with law partner Byrd R. Brown. She served as solicitor for the Allegheny County Controller from 1980 to 1984.[3] Smith-Ribner served as a judge of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on an interim basis from 1984 to 1985.[3] She was first elected to the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court in 1987 and was re-elected in 1997 and 2007.[3][8]
She retired from the court in 2009.[3]
She was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor in 2010.[9][7]
In addition, her career in government, prior to her unsuccessful campaign for the position of lieutenant governor, included five years as a member of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, service as chair of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's Disciplinary Board Hearing Committee, and eleven years as a member of the Pennsylvania Judicial Auditing Agency.[8]