Judge Donald E. Ziegler (Ret)

Former Judge Donald E. Ziegler was an active trial lawyer in federal and state court in Western Pennsylvania for 15 years prior to his election to the Court of Common Please of Allegheny County. After service in the civil and criminal divisions, he was appointed to the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania in 1978 by President Carter. He served as Chief Judge of the District Court from 1994-2001, and was a member of the Judicial Conference of the United States (1997-2000), and the Judicial Council of the Third Circuit 1994-2001). He also served as a transferee Judge of the judicial panel on multi-district litigation and a participant/lecture at MDL conferences of Judges. He retired from the bench in 2003, after 30 years of judicial service.

He is a member of the Academy of the Academy of Trial lawyers of Allegheny County, and has received the Joseph F. Weis Jr., Distinguished Service Award from the Academy, the Liberty Watch Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Thomas More Award from the St. Thomas More Society. Former Judge Ziegler is a graduate of Georgetown Law School where he was a member of the law review.

Former Judge Ziegler maintains an active mediation and arbitration practice.