Hot Topics in Orphans’ Court
Judges Murphy and Sterling will discuss recent developments in practice before the Orphans’ Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas. The Judges will also discuss other issues concerning elder abuse and exploitation, trusts, estates, attorneys’ fees and fiduciary liability.
Speaker Bios:
The Honorable Lois E. Murphy
Lois Murphy has been a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Montgomery County since 2010, and serves as Administrative Judge of the Orphans’ Court Division. The Orphans’ Court Division approves adoptions, and hears a wide variety of matters including terminations of parental rights, guardianships, will contests, trust and estate matters, and matters related to minor’s estates and non-profits.
Judge Murphy is Chair of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Advisory Council on Elder Justice in the Courts. She also served as the co-chair of the Pennsylvania Courts Working Group on Public Access.
Judge Murphy graduated from Harvard College in 1984, magna cum laude and Harvard Law School in 1987, cum laude.
Judge Murphy served as a law clerk to the Honorable George C. Pratt of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, as a trial and appellate litigator in the Civil Division of the United States Department of Justice, and then as in-house counsel to a national non-profit organization advocating for women’s rights. She is a frequent lecturer on topics including Ethics, Guardianship and Guardianship Reform, Access to Justice for Older Adults, End of Life Decisions, Orphans’ Court practice and procedure, and the Pennsylvania Uniform Trusts Act.
Judge Melissa Sterling
Melissa Sterling was elected to serve as a Judge for the 38th Judicial District for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in November 2019 and began serving on the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas in January 2020.
She was a partner at Naulty, Scaricamazza & McDevitt, LLC from 1997 through 2019 and practiced with the firm’s Workers’ Compensation Department.
Melissa is an active member of the legal community. She is a member of the Montgomery County Bar Association and the Philadelphia Bar Association. She was on the Board of Young Lawyers Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association. She served as Chair (2003), Chair-elect (2002) and Financial Secretary (2001). She implemented various programs and activities to promote the YLD and pro bono service. She served on the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association from 2004-2007. She was appointed to the Judicial Selection Committee from 2004-2007.
She served two terms as a Supervisor for Whitemarsh Township. She served as Chair of the Board in 2019. In 2011, she was appointed by Josh Shapiro and Leslie Richards to the Montgomery County Legal Transition Team. She was also appointed to the Montgomery County Commission for Women and Families in 2012.
Melissa earned her Bachelor of Arts from Franklin and Marshall College and received her Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law, where she was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society. Melissa also served as law clerk for the Honorable Marc Weinberg, Department of Labor and Industry, from 1996 to 1197. Melissa is admitted to practice before the state courts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey as well as the Supreme Court of the United States.
Thank you to our generous sponsor The Montgomery County Foundation Inc.
