Kate Ford Elliott at a glance
- Current role
- Senior Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Pennsylvania · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Kate Ford Elliott
Senior Judge · Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Biography
Professional career
- Judge, Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2010-present
- In 2025, she returned to the Superior Court as a senior judge In addition to her judicial duties, she ran unsuccessfully for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2001 as a Democrat against J. Michael Eakin
Education
- Duquesne University School of Law — J.D. (1978)
- B.A. in Education from the University of Pittsburgh in 1971, followed by an M.S. in Education from Duquesne University in 1973.
Additional information
- Retired from active service in 2017 but continued on senior status until her full retirement on December 31, 2020.
- She held the role of President Judge from January 9, 2006, to 2011, a position to which she was selected by her judicial peers.
- Elliott was first elected to the Pennsylvania Superior Court in November 1989 and was retained by voters in 1999 and 2009.
- Judge Elliott is recognized for her leadership in the Pennsylvania appellate courts and her dedication to advancing judicial practice and education.
- She is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a member of the American Judicature Society
- She has contributed extensively to legal education, frequently lecturing on appellate practice and procedure, and has served on the Executive Board of the ABA Committee of Appellate Staff Attorneys
- Judge Elliott has been actively involved in numerous professional organizations, including the Allegheny County Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, American Bar Association, and the National Association of Women Judges.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Exhibits
Statewide
For Pennsylvania Common Pleas proceedings, statewide Pa.R.J.A. 1910 prohibits courtroom broadcasting, recording, and photography unless an exception or judicial authorization applies; the rule also recognizes judge-authorized electronic or photographic means for evidence presentation.
the use of electronic or photographic means for the presentation of evidence201 Pa. Code Chapter 19, Rule 1910, Broadcasting, Recording and Photography in the Courtroom ↗
Sources
Identity source checked June 30, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 2, 2026.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania current judicial profile
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
View Superior Court of Pennsylvania current judicial profile ↗201 Pa. Code Chapter 19, Rule 1910, Broadcasting, Recording and Photography in the Courtroom
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View 201 Pa. Code Chapter 19, Rule 1910, Broadcasting, Recording and Photography in the Courtroom ↗CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
View CourtListener judicial biographical directory ↗Kate Ford Elliott - Ballotpedia
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
View Kate Ford Elliott - Ballotpedia ↗Superior Court Judges
Current Superior Court Judges And Senior Judges source · HTML · Source checked October 6, 2026
View Superior Court Judges ↗