(DOYLESTOWN, Pa.) Dianne C. Magee, an attorney with Grim, Biehn & Thatcher and Solicitor for the Bucks County Area Agency on Aging, has announced her candidacy for judge for the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas. Magee is running for one of three vacancies on the Court.
In a legal career spanning more than three decades, Magee has been a staunch advocate for the most vulnerable members of our communities – the elderly, disabled, children and families in crisis. As a respected authority on elder law issues, and recognized by community leaders and attorneys statewide, Magee would be the first judge in Bucks County with this background, gained through the experience of a lengthy career spent helping the elderly and their families with their legal issues.
For the past 19 years Magee has served as Solicitor for the Bucks County Area Agency on Aging, the County agency which protects residents aged 60 or older from physical abuse, financial exploitation or neglect and abandonment. Performing all of the Agency’s Older Adult protective services litigation (which has expanded nearly two-fold in the last year), has given Magee a first-hand perspective on the growing needs and concerns of our aging population.
“The people of Bucks County, especially our aging population of Baby Boomers, need a judge who understands their issues and the practical effects that the hard decisions made in Court will have on their lives,” says Magee. “A rise in the aging population brings about an increase in associated problems, disputes and related matters that will come before and be decided by the courts.”
Magee notes that the Orphans’ Court, a division of the Court addressing the needs of ordinary people, may become overburdened. She believes that her unique experience and skills will be an asset to the Court and a benefit to the citizens of Bucks County. “I am running because I want to help and serve this need,” Magee states. “I know and understand the people of Bucks County and have the professional and life experience to be a good judge. I am fair, compassionate, a good listener, and I am not afraid of making the hard decisions necessary to resolve the problems presented in court.”
Michael Sokolove, bestselling author, son of the late Judge Leonard B. Sokolove and friend shares, “…Dianne’s knowledge of the law, the wisdom she has accumulated in her nearly four decades as an attorney, her ethical compass, her dedication to what’s right and just, and her demonstrated dedication to public service — combined with the personal qualities anyone who knows her would attest to — will make her an ideal jurist. I cannot imagine anyone more qualified.” Sokolove continues, “…My father relied on Dianne’s judgment and her writing and editing acumen, and he rarely if ever came to a decision without talking it through with her. I know that he was a very good judge but he would have been the first to say that Dianne made him a better one.”
Magee’s life – both personally and professionally – reflects her core values: social justice; strong support for women, children, seniors and the environment; a respect for the dignity of all human beings, and a recognition that government serves a vital function to protect us all. Magee adds, “I have always viewed my profession as one of service, and I would like to continue to serve Bucks County as a judge in the Court of Common Pleas, where I pledge to serve with integrity, respect and compassion.”
About Dianne C. Magee
Dianne Magee heads the estate department at Grim, Biehn & Thatcher in Perkasie, Pa., where she brings a wealth of experience in the areas of elder law and all matters relating to estate planning, estate administration, adoption and guardianship.
For the past 19 years Magee has served as the Solicitor for the Bucks County Area Agency on Aging, the County agency which protects residents aged 60 or older from physical abuse, financial exploitation or neglect and abandonment. She performs all of the Agency’s Older Adult protective services litigation, which has expanded nearly two-fold in the last year. This work gives her a first-hand perspective on the growing needs and concerns of our aging population.
As a candidate for judge for the Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County, Dianne Magee offers 34 years of dedicated professional and community service to families in crisis and to protecting our most vulnerable citizens, including children, the disabled and the elderly. As a respected authority on elder law issues, recognized by community leaders and attorneys statewide, Magee would be the first judge in Bucks County with this unique experience and knowledge, earned through a career spent helping ordinary people as their trusted legal counsel.
Magee has been a certified mediator since 2006, with added credential as a certified elder mediator since 2007, and on the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas list of certified mediators.
Magee has volunteered extensively for professional and charitable organizations. She is the immediate past president of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bucks County, where she has served on the board of directors for the last 10 years, and she currently serves on the Bucks County SPCA board of directors. Magee also served for many years on the board of the Bucks County Women’s Fund, was president of the Bucks County Estate Planning Council, and has been a member of the board of directors of the Bucks County Bar Association, where she has chaired committees and a section and was a trustee of its foundation. For more information about Dianne C. Magee visit www.diannemageeforjudge.com.