HONORABLE MARK I. BERNSTEIN (RET.)

Judge Mark I. Bernstein served as a judge of the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania from April 1987 to October 2016. After almost 30 years on the bench, he has entered private practice, performing mediation, arbitration, case consultation, and expert evaluation services. He is certified as an American Arbitration Association mediator.

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While on the bench, Judge Bernstein resolved over 10,000 cases as a Major Jury, Class Action, or Commerce Court team leader. He also presided over more than 500 trials including a vast assortment of tort, commercial, class action, and mass tort cases. He brings this depth of experience to the valuation and resolution of civil litigation.

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Judge Bernstein writes extensively on the law, particularly in the area of expert testimony. He is the author of comprehensive comments on the Pennsylvania Rules of Evidence, published by Gann Law Books. He teaches evidence and civil procedure on the faculty of the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Drexel University.

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In 2016, Judge Bernstein was the recipient of the the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Justice William J. Brennan Jr. Distinguished Jurist Award. The Brennan Award recognizes jurists who adhere to the highest ideals of judicial service and who have made a significant, positive impact on the quality or administration of justice in Philadelphia.

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Judge Bernstein is also the recipient of the Foundation for Improvement of Justice Annual Award, for innovative court programs. He was named one of the 500 leading judges in America by Lawdragon Magazine. During his service as a judge, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania appointed him to serve on important committees concerned with the quality of justice, including the Civil Jury Instruction Committee and the Medical Malpractice Mediation Task Force, which encouraged alternatives to litigation. In 1995, Judge Bernstein designed and implemented the case management system for Civil Major Jury cases, as a result of which there is no backlog of civil cases in Philadelphia County.

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After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and before taking the bench, Judge Bernstein was in the private practice of law specializing in litigation. He is on the Board of Trustees of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation and on the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. He is the incoming President of the Philadelphia chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

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Since 98% of all civil cases settle before trial, Judge Bernstein has adopted as his mantra “Everything Settles.” Often settlement can be achieved surprisingly early in the litigation process. To achieve a reasonable acceptable resolution, few cases truly justify the time, energy, expense, and risk of a trial. You can count on Judge Bernstein to provide a creative, experienced, and objective perspective for your case.