Philadelphia, PA, February 1, 2017 – The United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania has appointed Kate Barkman, Esquire as Clerk of Court. On January 17, 2017, the new clerk was sworn in by Chief Judge Petrese B. Tucker. Ms Barkman is from Pittsburgh and served as the Director of the Department of Court Records of Allegheny County from 2008 to 2016. Prior to joining County government, Ms Barkman was in private practice focusing on the representation of public sector entities in labor, municipal and employment issues. She also served on the Allegheny County Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review. Ms Barkman began her legal career as an assistant public defender in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.
Chief Judge Petrese B. Tucker stated, “We are happy to have Ms Barkman on board. As a lawyer, she will be an excellent addition to our fine Clerk’s office.”
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is one of the original 13 federal judiciary districts created by the Judiciary Act of 1789. It originally sat in Independence Hall in Philadelphia as the United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania and is now located at the James Byrne Courthouse at 601 Market Street in Philadelphia with additional locations in Allentown, Reading and Easton. The Court’s jurisdiction includes Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, and Northampton counties as well as Philadelphia. The district is part of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Ms Barkman is the 16th clerk to serve the Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The Clerk of Courts office has 220 employees and two (2) locations: in Philadelphia in the James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse and in Allentown in the Edward N. Cahn U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building.