Judge Giordano Appointed Chair of Northampton County Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Ad Hoc Committee

The Honorable Emil Giordano (Ret.), a Member of law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., and Co-Chair of its Litigation Practice Group, has been appointed the Chair for the newly-created Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Ad Hoc Committee within the Northampton County Bar Association.

“More than ever, attorneys must now utilize creative and efficient alternatives to traditional litigation when assisting clients with legal disputes. It is our duty to teach the effective use of ADR as a path outside of traditional litigation to bring about a faster way of achieving results,” said Judge Giordano.

About the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee

What might have been characterized as the typical or routine delays built into a legal dispute may be now exacerbated by new delays as our courts address the complications of a national pandemic leaving parties waiting longer and longer for their day in court. Forums for mediation or arbitration can move quickly over several weeks, providing relief to the disputing parties and enabling them to get back to their lives and businesses.

The Special Ad Hoc Committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution will focus on initiatives and education aimed at most effectively bringing ADR techniques and proceedings to bear on legal disputes to help avoid costly and time-consuming traditional litigation. The first meeting for this committee will be held Tuesday, August 11, at 8:00 a.m. on Zoom. If you are interested in joining this committee, please email Mary Beth at marybeth@norcobar.org to register and to receive the meeting login information.

About Judge Giordano

Judge Giordano served as a presiding judge on the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County, Third Judicial District, from 2004 through 2018. He was Northampton County’s first administrative judge of the Orphans’ County Division, overseeing estates and trusts of the county, and was named to the Statewide Orphans’ Court Task Force, an organization charged with implementing changes to Orphans Court. He was also the first judge in Pennsylvania to institute guardianship certification requirements for the protection of senior citizens.

For 15 years, Judge Giordano presided over many jury trials and non-jury trials, hearings and motions, and a wide range of disputes under Pennsylvania and federal law, including construction, commercial litigation, professional malpractice, CERCLA, Civil Rights, condemnations, labor and land use appeals, criminal, and domestic relations.

As an arbitrator and mediator, Judge Giordano is certified through Harvard Law School Negotiation Institute in Advanced Mediation. He is a fellow of the American College of Civil Trial Mediators; is affiliated with the American Arbitration Association (AAA) Mediation; has been inducted into the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN) as a Diplomate Member for mediation; and has been selected to serve as an arbitrator and mediator to the Judicial Roster, Real Estate, and Pennsylvania at Large ADR Panels of Distinguished Neutrals for the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution.

Judge Giordano is a member of the Board of Directors for the Notre Dame CYO, and of the Board of Governors for Saint Thomas More Society; and is the Northampton County Bar Association Wills and Trusts Committee Lecturer. In 2005, he was the first judicial recipient of the Lehigh Valley Crime Victims Council Award for Outstanding Commitment to Victims’ Rights. On January 1, 2020, Judge Giordano was designated Vice-Chair of the statewide Orphans’ Court Procedural Rules Committee by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

Judge Giordano earned his J.D. in 1985 from Villanova University School of Law and his B.A. from Moravian College in 1982. A proud Moravian College alumnus, he serves as an Adjunct Professor for undergraduate classes. Born in Brooklyn to Italian immigrant parents, Judge Giordano was the first in his family to attend high school and is a graduate of Bethlehem Catholic High School, which presented him with its Distinguished Graduate Award.