James R. Steadman

I have been engaged in the practice of law in Girard since 1976 and my office has been in the same location all that time. I have served as a Borough Councilman for Girard Borough, a member of the Board of the Rice Avenue Community Public Library and its predecessor and been active in community events. I have served on the board of the Erie Philarmonic and also sang in the Philharmonic Chorus for a number of years. I was the president of the Erie County Historical Society and served on its board for a number of years.

In addition to having a Juris Doctorate degree from the Dickinson School of Law, I am a Certified Elder Law Attorney, the only one holding this certification with a full time office in Erie County, PA and one of only about 500 in the country.

I have been active in the Bar Association all the years of my practice, having served on the Executive Board for two separate terms, and served as President of the Erie County Bar in 1991. In addition, I served at the Chair of the Solo and Small Firm section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and have been a frequent lecturer for the PA Bar Institute, having prepared the materials and presented lectures in Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Lewisburg, Pittsburgh and Erie. I have also done a number of lectures for the Erie County Bar Association and for the National Business Institure.

I am an avid photographer and have traveled extensively for photography from Yellowstone National Park in the winter to Morocco, Turkey and Russia in more favorable weather conditions.

I am active in my church and have served as the Chancellor of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern PA and the Cathedral of St. Paul in Erie.

My wife and I have 3 daughters and 4 grandchildren, all living out of the area and we enjoy those times when we can visit them or host them for a visit.