(Reno, Nev.) – The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) has elected Judith T. Horgan to its Board of Directors.
Horgan is a child advocate with a long history of involvement in the juvenile justice system. She founded Child Watch of Pittsburgh in 1992, bringing public awareness to the plight of children in the child welfare system.
“Judith is a lifelong champion for children, given her transformative impact in Allegheny County,” said Judge Katherine Tennyson, NCJFCJ president. “Her work and experience will be an asset to the NCJFCJ on a national level.”
Horgan has worked to alleviate the problems of children in the judicial system by mobilizing the community to seek collaborative solutions to those problems. She has organized adoption days to get children into placements more efficiently, led efforts at the State level to increase the number of juvenile court judges and hearing examiners, impacted the move of the family courthouse, spearheaded video-conferencing to improve efficiencies in court hearings and instituted Safe Place, a safer environment for cases involving individuals impacted by domestic violence.
She was a recipient of the Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania for her significant contributions to the Commonwealth; and has received the Good Government Award from the League of Women Voters, United Way’s Volunteer of the Year, the Pittsburgh Foundation Award for innovative contributions in child welfare, and recognition from the Allegheny County Family Court for the establishment of Safe Place.
“My service contributions have been directed towards the welfare of children,” said Horgan. “I am looking forward to continuing my life-long commitment to juvenile justice, civil rights and child welfare with the NCJFCJ and making a difference to our nation’s children and families involved with the justice system.”
Horgan has served on the boards of Allies for Children, the Children, Youth & Families Advisory Committee, the Shuman Center Task Force, Nurture PA, the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh, the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Beginning with Books and Allegheny College. She resides in Pittsburgh, Penn.