The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has appointed Laura E. Ellsworth to serve as a member of the Disciplinary Board, effective May 1, 2022.
Ellsworth is a partner at Jones Day where she serves as the law firm’s first Partner-in-Charge of Global Community Service Initiatives. 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.
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 many other prestigious organizations.
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, Ellsworth has served on the boards for many civic/charitable organizations and public companies – some of which include 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.
Ellsworth’s civic contributions have been recognized in numerous awards including the 2013 ATHENA Award, 2014 Pennsylvania Diversity Council's Most Powerful & Influential Women Award, the 2016 Legal Intelligencer's Lifetime Achievement Award, and a 2017 Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in America.
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 general public, maintain a high standard of integrity in the legal profession, and safeguard the reputation of the courts of Pennsylvania.
Disciplinary Board members, which include ten lawyers and two non-lawyers from across the Commonwealth, meet regularly to decide cases, policies, and administrative matters. All members of the Disciplinary Board serve as unpaid volunteers.