The Hon. Barbara A. McDermott is a judge for the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. She was elected to the bench in 2011.
McDermott earned a B.A. from Seton Hill College in 1977. She then completed a J.D. at Georgetown University Law Center in 1980.
After graduating from law school, McDermott began her legal career as a Special Deputy Attorney General for the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. During her tenure there, she was assigned to the Toxic Waste Investigation and Prosecution Unit, where she represented the Commonwealth in felony and misdemeanor prosecutions of the hazardous waste law.
McDermott transferred to the Philadelphia County District Attorney’s Office in 1984. She spent the next six years serving as an Assistant district Attorney, prosecuting criminal matters ranging from misdemeanors to homicides.
Then, in 1990, McDermott joined the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. She served as a law clerk to the Hon. Arnold L. New (1990 to 1995) as well as the Hon. Anne E. Lazarus (1995 to 2001) before opening her own private practice as a sole practitioner in 2001.
Her memberships have included the Philadelphia Prisoners’ Family Welfare Association and the Board of the Urban Redevelopment Corporation.
