The Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has announced the appointments of Luzerne County attorney Catherine R. O’Donnell and York County resident Joshua F. Wilson as members of the Board.
The appointments are effective April 1, 2024 for a term of six years.
Catherine R. O’Donnell, Esq.
Cathy O’Donnell is a longtime practicing lawyer in Pennsylvania and leads the O’Donnell law firm team in the areas of estate planning, estate administration, Orphans’ Court, and elder law.
O’Donnell also serves as the firm’s business manager.
Prior to joining O’Donnell Law Offices, she practiced with Drinker, Biddle & Reath LLP in Philadelphia and was a shareholder of Elliott, Reihner Siedzikowski & Egan PC. O’Donnell also served as a magisterial district judge from 2000 to 2002 and as solicitor for the Wilkes-Barre Redevelopment Authority.
Active in community service, O’Donnell has served on several boards throughout her career, including current positions as the chair of the Luzerne County Community College Board and the Luzerne County Bar Charitable Foundation Board.
O’Donnell is the assistant secretary of the Friedman Jewish Community Center Board and serves as a board member of the North Branch Land Trust, Junior Leadership Northeast, and Luzerne County Dress for Success. O’Donnell completed her undergraduate degree, Juris Doctorate, and Master of Business Administration at the University of Pittsburgh, graduating cum laude with each degree.
Joshua F. Wilson
Josh Wilson will fill one of two non-lawyer positions on the Disciplinary Board.
Wilson currently serves as a deputy treasurer with the Pennsylvania Treasury Department. He brings extensive judicial experience to the Board after advising the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts for seven years as the director of Intergovernmental Affairs.
With more than twenty-five years of experience in government service and advocacy work, Wilson’s experience extends beyond the judiciary to the executive and legislative branches having served as an assistant to the former Senate Majority Whip and the chief of staff for Lt. Governor Jim Cawley. He has also served on several local government boards and commissions.
Wilson is a graduate of Millersville University with a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education.
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 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 board administrative matters. All members of the Board serve as unpaid volunteers.