News

Nancy M. Sobolevitch retires

October 29, 1999

PHILADELPHIA, October 29 -- Chief Justice of Pennsylvania John P. Flaherty today announced the retirement of state court administrator Nancy M. Sobolevitch, effective January 1, 2000. Sobolevitch was the first woman, non-lawyer to be appointed Court Administrator of Pennsylvania by the Supreme Court. She took office as the court administrator of Pennsylvania’s unified judicial system on March 31, 1986, and has served longer than any of her predecessors. Sobolevitch said today that she informed the Chief Justice of her decision via letter last week. “Serving as court administrator has been a great privilege. I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to implement initiatives that will prepare the judicial branch to meet the challenges of the next millennium.” She further remarked that it has been her honor to serve the distinguished members of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, both past and present, and the judiciary as a whole. Upon her retirement, Sobolevitch plans to pursue other interests. During her thirteen years as the overseer of the business of the Commonwealth’s judiciary, Sobolevitch has frequently succeeded in achieving progressive change and improvements in service and access to justice for all Pennsylvanians. In 1992, under the leadership of Justice Stephen A. Zappala, the automated District Justice System was launched on time and on budget and has been praised as a well run, well managed computerization effort. More recently, Sobolevitch has collaboratively worked with members of the Supreme Court, as well as representatives from the executive and legislative branches, to accomplish the first phase implementation of state funding for the unified judicial system, specifically the transfer of county court administrators and their deputies to the state judicial system, which is scheduled for January 1, 2000. Having served with distinction in many court related organizations, Sobolevitch currently serves on the Judicial Council of Pennsylvania and chairs its budget subcommittee. In 1996, the Supreme Court appointed Sobolevitch to the Administrative Governing Board of the First Judicial District (Philadelphia’s court system). On the national level, she has served on the Board of Directors for the National Center for State Courts and the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA). In 1997-98 she was the president of COSCA. She currently serves on COSCA’s Nominating, Policy & Liaison, and Public Trust & Confidence in the Judiciary committees. Her current professional memberships include: Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, Pennsylvania Association of Court Management, National Association of Women Judges, and American Judges Association. A Pennsylvania native, Sobolevitch received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. She has held positions in the other two branches of state government, as Deputy Director of the Governor’s Energy Council from 1975-1978 and Executive Assistant to the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1979-1986. The Supreme Court has appointed Chief Legal Counsel Zygmont A. Pines as acting state court administrator.