The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has appointed Shohin H. Vance, Esq., as Disciplinary Board Chair and Laura E. Ellsworth, Esq., as Disciplinary Board Vice-Chair, effective April 1, 2026.
Shohin H. Vance, Esq.
Mr. Vance is a shareholder in the Saxton & Stump Appellate and Post-Trial Advocacy Group and contributes his deep experience to the Commercial Litigation and Regulatory and Government Affairs groups. He was appointed to the Disciplinary Board in April 2021 and was appointed Vice-Chair on April 1, 2025. His term will expire in April 2027.
He is widely recognized across Pennsylvania for his work in politically sensitive and high-stakes litigation, particularly in election law, government disputes, and constitutional matters.
Throughout his career, Mr. Vance has represented clients in matters before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and other state and federal courts. Before joining Saxton & Stump, Mr. Vance was a partner at a Philadelphia law firm where he was instrumental in building its influential political law practice.
In addition, he commenced his legal career as a law clerk to Chief Justice Thomas G. Saylor of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Before attending Penn State Dickinson Law, he worked for one of the top government relations and political consulting firms in the state where he played a key role in several public policy victories and developed an extensive résumé in campaign consulting, earned media, press relations, and grassroots organization.
Laura E. Ellsworth, Esq.
Laura Ellsworth was first appointed to the Board in May 2022, and her term will expire in April 2027.
Ms. Ellsworth is Of Counsel at Jones Day. She served as the law firm’s first Partner-in-Charge of Global Community Service Initiatives, and she continues to lead that work in her Of Counsel role.
In her litigation practice, she has handled landmark public nuisance cases, multijurisdictional product liability matters, the largest health care bankruptcy of its time, and nationwide qui tam cases. Ms. Ellsworth has been active in civic and community affairs, serving in leadership roles on the United Way Women's Leadership Council, Allegheny Conference on Community Development, the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, and more.
Through her pro bono work and nonprofit involvement, she has proven a passion and commitment to improving access to justice in disadvantaged communities, having taught law classes in inner-city schools and conducted recurring Lawyers Without Borders programs in Nairobi, Kenya.
In addition to her prior appointments by governors to Pennsylvania’s State System for Higher Education, Council on Privatization and Innovation, and Council on the Arts, Ms. Ellsworth has served on the boards for many civic and charitable organizations and public companies – including Magee-Women’s Research Institute & Foundation, Waynesburg University, McCune Foundation and University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics.
She has also previously served on committees for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania including the Local Rules Advisory Committee and as co-chair of the Federal Judicial Selection Committee.
The Disciplinary Board was created by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to review conduct and assure compliance by all attorneys to the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct. The board assists the Supreme Court in the licensing and discipline of attorneys in Pennsylvania. Its mission is to protect the protect the public, maintain the integrity of the legal profession, and safeguard the reputation of the courts.
Disciplinary Board Members, which include ten lawyers and two non-lawyers from across the Commonwealth, meet regularly to decide cases, policies, and board administrative matters. All members of the Disciplinary Board serve as unpaid volunteers.