The Honorable John C. Uhler is currently of Counsel with the CGA Law Firm leading the firms ADR section and is an active member of their litigation section. He was formerly a Senior Judge of the States 19th Judicial District. A recognized leader in juvenile justice across the Commonwealth, Judge Uhler initiated Pennsylvania's first juvenile Mental Health Court program, JUMP (Juvenile Probation United with Mental Health) in 1998. By appointment of the Republican leadership of the Pennsylvania Senate by the Senate Pro Tem in 2009, Uhler served on the Interbranch Commission for Juvenile Justice charged with reviewing juvenile court practices, procedural rules, and professional rules of conduct in the wake of extensive judicial corruption in Luzerne County. Governor Rendell appointed Judge Uhler in 2008 to the State Council for Interstate Juvenile Supervision, which is charged with establishing recommendations and implementation of Interstate rules relating to Juveniles transfer between states. Judge Uhler served as President of the State Conference of Trial Judges, Juvenile Judges Section from 2001-2003, and as consultant to the Pennsylvania Juvenile Delinquency Bench Book. Judge Uhler is Chairman and founder of York County's Truancy Prevention Initiative, an award winning model truancy and drop out reduction program in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Elected to the bench in November of 1989, Judge Uhler served as York County’s first elected President Judge from November 1995 to January 2001, and as Chairman of the President Judges for the Pennsylvania State Trial Conference of Judges. He developed and presided over York County’s first Civil motion practice. While President Judge he raised community awareness of the need for the York County Judicial Center and thereafter guided its design and construction. Judge Uhler served as a member of the Judicial Ethics Committee for the State Conference of Trial Judges for ten years. He also presided over the Orphan's Court of York County for five years.
Judge Uhler has received a variety of awards including the Juvenile Court Judges Commission Court Operated Program of the Year (2005) for his Juvenile Mental Health Court, the Crispus Attucks Aunt Lovie Award, the York Area Chamber of Commerce Elected Official of the Year Award, Child Advocate of the Year Award by the Children's Right's Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Salvation Army's Years of Outstanding Service To the Community Award, and United Way’s Community Builder Award.
A lifelong resident of York County, Judge Uhler received his undergraduate degree from Bucknell University and his J.D. from Penn State Dickinson School of Law.
Following graduation from law school, he worked as Senior Law Clerk in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. While an Assistant United States Attorney, Judge Uhler opened the Harrisburg PA office for the United States Department of Justice. Before election to the bench, Judge Uhler maintained an active general law practice in York County representing corporations and individuals in all facets of a general practice as well as a trial attorney in both State and Federal Courts. Uhler’s private trial practice included litigating a broad range of civil matters including trademark, antitrust, security fraud, tax litigation, white collar crime, commercial, and negligence actions in addition to handling Orphan’s Court matters and estates. He served as York County District Attorney from 1978 until 1982.
Judge Uhler serves as a Panelist and Lecturer on subjects including Judicial Ethics, Professionalism, Immigration, Discovery, Advanced Civil Practice, Fair Trial-Free Press, Management of High Profile Cases, Juvenile Justice, Orphan’s Court, and the Judiciary.
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