Judge Maria McLaughlin
November, 2021 Justinian Member of the Month

Judge Foglietta has been a judge in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County since January 2012 where his honor presides over complex wrongful death and survival actions, medical malpractice, and products liability major jury trials. Prior to his honor's election to the bench, Judge Foglietta was in private practice since 1986.

His honor's private practice included insurance defense, surety and fidelity, construction litigation, insurance coverage disputes, commercial litigation as well as general civil litigation. From 1976 to 1985, his honor defended the City of Philadelphia and its employees against civil lawsuits in the Office of City Solicitor, where he was initially hired as a law clerk and ultimately became Chief Assistant City Solicitor.

Judge Foglietta earned his Juris Doctor from Widener University School of Law in 1976, where he participated in the Student Bar Association and has served on the Alumni Association's Board of Directors. Judge Foglietta graduated in 1972 from St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Sociology where he notably achieved Dean's List every semester and won the Union League's "Good Citizenship Award" prior to matriculation.

Judge Foglietta served as Vice Chair of the Tort and Insurance Committee of the General Practice Section of the American Bar Association and was appointed to this national office by the Committee Chairperson. His honor's community service includes: Senior Citizens Judicare Project; Special Olympics; Feed the Children; Volunteer Stand Down Philadelphia, United Communities of Southeast Philadelphia (His honor was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors and then his honor was elected as the President of the Board of Directors).

Una Piccola Conversazione

1. How long have you been a member of the Justinian Society?

I was admitted to the Bar in 1977 and I joined the Justinians the following year.

2. Why did you join the Justinian Society, and what do you hope to gain from membership?

I liked and still like the idea of a fraternal organization dedicated to our shared Italian-American heritage.

3. What do you love or enjoy most about your job?

Being a Common Pleas court trial judge is for me a "dream job". Every day is a new and exciting experience. I consider it the culmination of my legal career.

4. How would you define success?

That's not an easy question to answer. I guess I would define success in my job as well as in my personal life as always doing what I consider to be the right thing regardless of the circumstances. Or the consequences.

5. Who or what inspires you?

I always look to my family for inspiration in times of crisis.

6. If you could choose anyone in history as a mentor, who would you choose and why?

That's an easy question for me to answer. Teddy Roosevelt is a personal hero of mine and I feel he is kindred spirit.

7. Name one valuable lesson you've learned in your life and that you would advise other members to follow?

As I said previously, always do what you think is right regardless of the circumstances or the consequences.

8. What's something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?

I prefer winter sports to the summer. As a matter of fact, I despise the spring and summer.

9. What's the last book you read?

My job keeps me so busy it doesn't afford me the luxury of reading books for pleasure.

10. What's your favorite thing about Philadelphia, i.e., sports team, restaurant, museum, history, music etc.?

The historical significance of our great city as the birthplace of our great nation.