Sylvia graduated with Honors from Columbia College, Columbia University in 1987. She had the unique distinction of being a member of the first women’s class to graduate from Columbia College. While there, she made historic and groundbreaking changes to further women’s involvement in activities of the College. She co-founded Columbia’s first women’s soccer team, which ultimately went on to win the Ivy League Championship. She was also a member of a women’s organization focused on developing a larger women’s presence in the school and the community as a whole.
After graduating from Columbia, she earned her Juris Doctor from Boston University’s School of Law where she graduated in 1990 as an Edward F. Hennessy Scholar, in the top 15% of her class. While there, she focused her curriculum on all aspects of litigation. She was chosen to take part in a Trial Advocacy Program where she was able to try cases in the District Courts of Massachusetts. During summers, she worked as a student prosecutor, also trying numerous bench trials.
After graduating Law School, Sylvia served as an Assistant District Attorney at the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office. As a prosecutor, she further honed her litigation skills. She tried hundreds of bench trials and numerous jury trials. In less than two years, she was appointed trial supervisor of Lowell District Court, where she oversaw a caseload of more than 3,000 cases, multiple Assistant District Attorneys and Pro Bono Attorneys. She also taught Trial Advocacy at New England Law School as part of their Clinical Program. Sylvia was also chosen to attend the Career Prosecutors Training Program, which involved intense litigation training. Within two years, she was promoted to Supervisor of the Jury Division, where she tried numerous Jury Trials in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
After moving to Pennsylvania, she started her career in Insurance Defense, handling Motor Vehicle and Premises Liability cases. She has been in-house counsel for three Insurance Companies.
Recently she was engaged in Private Practice at a law firm where she represented Insureds and Insurance Companies. In all capacities she has always handled Major Jury cases as lead trial counsel from inception through resolution at Trial or Alternate Dispute Resolution.
In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children.
Education
- Boston University School of Law ( J.D. 1990)
- Columbia College, Columbia University (B.A. 1987)
Bar Admissions
- Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1990
