Program Book for the 250th Anniversary - Flipbook - Page 9
JUSTICE KEVIN M. DOUGHERTY
Justice Kevin M. Dougherty graduated from Temple University, and then attended Antioch School of Law in Washington, DC.
Following that he started his legal career as an assistant district attorney in Philadelphia, and later went into private practice.
In 2001, Dougherty was appointed to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, and he won election to a full 10-year term
later that year. Justice Dougherty requested to be assigned to Family Court because he felt that he could influence the lives
of our most vulnerable citizens and help mold troubled youth into happy, healthy and productive members of society.
In recognition of his administrative skills and commitment to reforming the juvenile justice system, the Pennsylvania
Supreme Court appointed Justice Dougherty to be Administrative Judge of the Philadelphia Family Court in 2005. In this
capacity, Justice Dougherty initiated numerous diversionary programs benefiting the most at-risk and vulnerable children in
Philadelphia including the Cross-Over Program, the Adolescent Medicine Initiative, and the Expungement Initiative.
In 2014, Justice Dougherty was reassigned as the Administrative Judge of the Trial Division, First Judicial District, and as
such ran the largest court system in Pennsylvania while serving as Chair of the Administrative Governing Board.
Justice Dougherty was elected to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on November 3rd, 2015, and was retained in
November, 2025. With a passion for the issues facing children and families, Justice Dougherty alongside his fellow Justices,
has taken a keen interest in making the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania a national model for access to justice,
alternative sentencing, transparency, and maintaining open dialogue among stakeholders across state government. In
addition, he proudly represents the Supreme Court on the Statewide Dependency Court Improvement Program and the
Autism and the Courts Initiative, and he was the catalyst for both the Supreme Court’s Behavioral Health Initiative and the
Pennsylvania Judiciary’s first Office of Behavioral Health within the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.
