Wade Albert Runs for Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas

Candidate: Wade Albert

Court: Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas

Party: Democrat

Philadelphia Bar Association rating: Recommended

Ballot position: 11

The following has been edited lightly for length and style.

The Legal Intelligencer: Tell us about your background, where you went to law school, what firms you have practiced at, and areas of law you focus on.

Wade Albert: I am a lifelong resident of Philadelphia. I grew up in the Castor Gardens section of Northeast Philadelphia, and have lived in Center City since college. I went to Central High School. I then earned my bachelor of arts from Temple University in political science and classics. After that, I earned my juris doctor from Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Professionally, I practice at Stevens & Lee, where I am a member of the labor and employment group. I primarily litigate employment discrimination and wage claims. I also have side practices in the areas of zoning and election law. I previously practiced at Sobol Law Group, and before that at Sidkoff, Pincus & Green, which is a plaintiff-side litigation boutique.

I am a gay man. I hope to join a small but growing number of LGBTQ+ judges in Pennsylvania.

The Legal: What is one major thing about your career experience that most qualifies you for this position, and why?

Albert: I believe that some of my earliest legal experience most qualifies me to be a judge. After law school, I clerked for [U.S. District Judge] Nitza Quinones Alejandro [of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania] for four years. While in law school, I served as intern law clerk for [Judge] Sandra Mazer Moss [of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas] for one year.

These experiences provided me with a deep understanding of the inner workings of the court system and the difficult decisions that judges have to make every day. For example, during the time I clerked for Quinones, she presided over 150 civil jury trials (mostly medical malpractice, products liability and government liability cases), and ruled on over 1,000 pretrial and posttrial motions. I worked closely with her. She trained me to view cases and legal issues from multiple angles in order to reach fair, reasoned decisions. She also showed me how to run a courtroom and how to manage a jury.

The Legal: What is the main reason Pennsylvania voters should pick you?

Albert: Voters should pick me for judge on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas because of my experience as an attorney and extensive history of public service. With regard to experience, I worked behind the scenes for the court system and practiced law on both the plaintiff and defense sides.

During my career as an attorney, I also have performed countless hours of pro bono work. For example, I participated in and ran several annual expungement clinics for an organization called Unity in the Community, for which I helped low-income Philadelphians clear their old criminal records. For this work, the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Criminal Trial Division, awarded me the Pro Bono Publico Award in 2019. This award is given to only one attorney, law firm or legal aid organization each year.

In addition, I have worked hard to improve the community. Among other things, I previously served as president of the Center City Residents’ Association, my neighborhood civic association. I was vice chair of the Crosstown Coalition, which is essentially a consortium of civic associations throughout Philadelphia. I also served on the boards of the Liberty City LGBTQ+ Democratic Club and Philly Set Go.

The Legal: What will be your approach to moving matters efficiently through the case management system?

Albert: As an attorney in civil practice, I understand that there is a significant backlog in the court system. There was a backlog before the pandemic. The backlog is worse now. Having cases languish on the docket disserves litigants and wastes the resources of everyone involved.

At the same time, the overwhelming majority of civil cases ultimately settle. But as we all know, cases rarely settle without some sort of court intervention—such as a compulsory settlement conference or a hard trial date on the horizon.

Within available resources, I would explore ways to increase opportunities for successful early mediation. For example, state courts in New Jersey regularly require parties to attend mediation at an early juncture in the case, often around the time when written discovery is completed and depositions are just beginning. In contrast, cases in Philadelphia often are not called for a settlement conference until a later procedural juncture. If elected to the bench, I would hope to get the opportunity to help litigants get to the negotiation table as early as practicable.

The Legal: What would you say to voters regarding your plans to ensure the equal administration of justice for all people?

Albert: I fundamentally understand the importance of access to justice and due process for all litigants, regardless of whether they represented by the most competent of counsel or are proceeding pro se—and everything in between. Over the years, I have taken on many pro bono cases for individuals who cannot afford to hire a lawyer, and I have litigated cases against pro se opponents. Through these experiences, I have learned firsthand the awesome power that lawyers and judges have to affect the lives of the actual parties in their cases and what it means for people in those cases to have their voices heard. I understand that what happens at a 30-minute hearing could impact a person for the rest of their life. I would treat court proceedings as the solemn and serious events that they are and treat all parties before me with the dignity and respect that they deserve as fellow humans.

Relatedly, my experience working in the area of employment law has provided me with a profound awareness of how discrimination and implicit bias impact people in so many different ways—including in the justice system. I would bring that experience with me into the courtroom and be vigilant not to prejudge anyone.

The Legal: Where can voters go for more information about you?

Albert: I invite voters to go to my website, wadealbertforjudge.com, to learn more about me and my campaign.