Temple University Beasley School of Law has named the Honorable
Sandra Mazer Moss Executive Director of the new Stephen and Sandra
Sheller Center for Social Justice. Judge Moss, who retired from the
bench November 1st, assumed her duties on November
4th. She will be responsible for fund development,
including initiating fundraising projects and events, and offering
proactive and creative leadership to increase and expand the
Center’s funding base.
“On my final day on the bench,” reflected Judge Moss, “I looked
out across my courtroom and felt satisfied. I had come to do
a job, and I had done it well. Now, l get to feel the excitement of
a new challenge and a new role serving the people of
Philadelphia. The Sheller Center has the potential to make
real contributions to social justice in the region, and I’m already
proud to be a part of it.”
Judge Moss’s long tenure with the First Judicial District of
Pennsylvania has led to many accolades and the deep respect of her
colleagues in the judiciary as well as the Philadelphia Bar. Judge
Moss received the Philadelphia Bar Association’s 2007 Justice
William J. Brennan Jr. Distinguished Jurist Award which recognizes
a jurist who adheres to the highest ideals of judicial
service. She was also selected as the Beasley School of Law’s
Certificate of Honor Recipient at Temple University’s Founder’s Day
Celebration in 2008. In 2010 the Philadelphia Legal
Intelligencer honored her as a Woman of Distinction. The Bar
Association’s State Civil Litigation Section at its 2011 annual
meeting honored Judge Moss for distinguished service and dedication
to their organization and to the Court. In 2013 Judge Moss
was inducted into the National Trial Lawyer’s Hall of Fame
recognizing her twenty-five year contribution to Mass Tort
Litigation. She has been a faculty member at the National
Judicial College since 1992 teaching Civil Procedure and Complex
Litigation to judges across the country, and in recognition of her
service and dedication, the National Judicial College honored her
with the Advancement of Justice Award in 2011.
“I’m deeply pleased that Judge Moss has agreed to join the
Sheller Center,” said Dean JoAnne A. Epps. “She brings proven
leadership, especially in organizational development, along with a
deep commitment to the Philadelphia community, and I know her
contributions will be significant.”
Judge Moss is the founder and coordinating judge emeritus of
Philadelphia’s nationally recognized Complex Litigation
Center. In that capacity she created ground breaking case
management procedures in Mass Tort Litigation particularly in
Asbestos and eighteen Pharmaceutical Programs where she supervised
over 9,000 mass tort cases. She is vice president of the
Temple University Beasley School of Law’s Alumni Association and
current Chancellor of the Brandeis Law Society. She received
a B.S. in journalism and a J.D. from Temple University and
practiced law for eight and a half years specializing in medical
malpractice, products liability and toxic torts.