Madison Kwiecinski – Editor-in-Chief

Mvk5945@psu.edu 

Max Baer, Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court Chief Justice passed away last Friday, September 30, 2022, at the age of 74. Chief Justice Baer, who was first elected to the Supreme Court in 2001 became Chief Justice in 2021.

Baer was set to retire at the end of this year, when he would have reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 for PA Supreme Court Justices. 

Baer was named after both of his Grandfathers, with his full name being David Max Baer. He began going by his middle name when enrolled in law school, which he attended at Duquesne University. Baer graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1971 with his undergraduate degree, and from Duquesne’s night law school program in 1975. 

Baer served as Deputy Attorney General for Pennsylvania from 1975 to 1980, and then spent a nine year period practicing in the private sector. He became a Judge in the Allegheny Court of Common Pleas Court in 1989, investing the majority of his time in the family-law division. 

“Chief Justice Baer was an influential and intellectual jurist whose unwavering focus was on administering fair and balanced justice,” Justice Debra Todd said,  “He was a tireless champion for children, devoted to protecting and providing for our youngest and most vulnerable citizens.”

Justice Debra Todd is now the new Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, as she was already set to replace Baer following his retirement. She will be Pennsylvania’s first female Chief Justice. 

Governor Wolf is now expected to fill the vacant seat on the Supreme Court, following an application process and proper approval by the state’s Senate. The court sat at a 5-2 Democratic majority prior to Justice Baer’s passing, and will now sit at 4-2 until a replacement is appointed. 

“I’m extremely saddened to learn that Chief Justice Baer passed away,” Governor Wolf said in a statement, “He was a respected and esteemed jurist with decades of service to our courts and our commonwealth. I am grateful for his contributions and leadership in the Supreme Court.”