PA Supreme Court Appoints Scranton Attorney Sal Cognetti, Jr. to the Disciplinary Board
(Lemoyne, Pa.) - The Pennsylvania Supreme Court announces that Sal Cognetti, Jr. of the law firm Foley, Cognetti, Comerford, Cimini and Cummins, has been appointed to a three-year term on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Disciplinary Board.
The Disciplinary Board is an independent agency funded by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and consists of 16 members, 14 attorneys and two non-lawyers from across the state. It assists the Supreme Court in carrying out its exclusive jurisdiction over the licensing and discipline of attorneys in Pennsylvania. As a member Cognetti will regularly meet with the rest of the board to decide cases, policies and board administrative matters.
"Sal Cognetti is one of the most respected lawyers in the state," Gary Gentile, chair of the Disciplinary Board said. "With his level of experience, he has a complete understanding of the disciplinary process and it's importance to the state legal system. The quality of our product and process depends on and is insured by the appointment of competent and excellent individuals to the board, a category into which Sal Cognetti clearly fits."
A resident and native of Scranton, Pa., Cognetti previously served as judge and president judge of the Court of Judicial Discipline for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Created by a constitutional amendment in 1993, the Court of Judicial Discipline oversees all judicial officers in Pennsylvania - hearing and deciding upon all formal charges filed against judicial officers.
During his career, Cognetti has practiced law on both the private and public level. After graduating from Georgetown Law School in 1974, Cognetti became an assistant United States attorney for the middle district of Pennsylvania and participated in both civil and criminal litigation. In 1979 Cognetti switched to private practice, again with a heavy concentration in civil and criminal litigation.
During his time in private practice, Cognetti remained active in his governmental service, working part-time as a special assistant for the Department of Justice. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the American Board of Trial Advocates, various U.S. Courts of Appeals, District Courts, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and the Supreme Court of the United States.
The Disciplinary Board's goals are to protect the general public, maintain a high standard of integrity in the legal profession, and safeguard the reputation of the courts of Pennsylvania. 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. For more information about the Disciplinary Board please visit www.padisciplinaryboard.org or contact Nathan Pigott at (717) 975-2148 or npigott@hersheyphilbin.com.