Judge Joy Flowers Conti

Senior U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti will deliver the keynote address for Jackson Day on February 12 at the Warren County Courthouse, continuing the Robert H. Jackson Center’s annual tradition of honoring Jackson’s hometown, birthday, and legacy.

The evening will begin with a public reception from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Crary Art Gallery, 511 Market St., Warren, followed by Conti’s keynote address at 7 p.m. at the Warren County Courthouse, 204 Fourth Ave.

The public is welcome to join us for both events with registration available on the center’s website.

Conti will reflect on her journey from small-town Pennsylvania to the federal bench.

Born in Kane, Pa., Conti graduated from Duquesne University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1970 and a J.D. summa cum laude in 1973, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Duquesne Law Review.

In 1974, she became the first woman lawyer hired by Kirkpatrick, Lockhart, Johnson & Hutchinson. She later joined the faculty at Duquesne University School of Law as a tenured professor before returning to private practice, where she became a partner specializing in bankruptcy, creditors’ rights, healthcare, and corporate law.

Conti served as president of the Allegheny County Bar Association and was a governor-at-large of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. She is a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy and the American Bar Foundation. In 1995, she became the second recipient of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Anne X. Alpern Award, recognizing outstanding women lawyers and judges.

Nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania by President George W. Bush in 2002, she was confirmed by the Senate and received her commission that same year. She served as Chief Judge from 2013 to 2018 and currently serves as the 49th Commissioned Judge and Senior District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Both events are free and open to the public, but an RSVP is required. Register at roberthjackson.org/events or call 716-483-6646.

Each year, the Jackson Center honors Jackson’s Feb. 13, 1892, birthday in nearby Spring Creek, Pa., by inviting speakers to address contemporary topics at the Warren County Courthouse.