Championing change: Alum's 40-year dedication to justice reform
Lynn A. Marks ’71, a distinguished public-interest lawyer in Philadelphia, has spent the past 40 years focusing on court reform, gender and racial bias in the justice system, violence against women, reproductive rights, and breast cancer, among other social justice areas. She was recently recognized by the Pennsylvania Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession with the .
For 25 years, until 2016, Marks served as the executive director of Pennsylvanians
for Modern Courts, a statewide court watchdog. At the helm, she led efforts to strengthen
the disciplinary process for judges who engage in misconduct; improve the jury system;
and educate the public about the importance of jury duty, judicial elections, and
a bias-free system of justice, among other areas.
Marks is the longest-serving member of the Pennsylvania Interbranch Commission for Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Fairness and currently serves as its vice chair. She was first appointed to the role in 2005 by former Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell.
In 2017, Marks launched the First Judicial District Juror Participation Initiative to increase the number of people in Philadelphia’s jury pools, especially African Americans and other people of color. Since 2017, Marks has also been teaching a popular weekly class at Temple University called . The class of more than 400 people over age 50 (in-person and virtually) explores current policy issues from various perspectives.
“This class lets me continue to engage in the work of the Philadelphia justice community,” Marks says. “The students, retired teachers, doctors, lawyers, businesspeople, journalists, and many others are hungry for information.”
Marks is also an international racer who competes on a team of breast cancer survivors. “When I signed up for the team, my intention was to get exercise, enjoy the serenity of the water, and meet new women,” she says. “But we are also very competitive!”
A government major at Skidmore who attained her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School in Philadelphia, Marks began her legal career as the legal director and executive director of Women Organized Against Rape in Philadelphia. She says her best “job” is being a mom.
