Hon. Sean J. McLaughlin (ret.) Receives Chancellor of the Bar Award

Hon. Sean J. McLaughlin (ret.) received the 2024 Chancellor of the Bar Award from the Erie County Bar Association (ECBA) at its annual Law Day celebration on Thursday, May 9, 2024. Judge McLaughlin is the 10th Knox Law attorney to receive this lifetime achievement award, which "recognizes an ECBA member who was nominated by his/her peers for significant contributions with respect to their practice, attitude toward the Court and fellow lawyers, and participation in civic affairs and community life."

Judge McLaughlin served as a U.S. District Court Judge from 1994 through 2013, completing his tenure as chief judge. He then served for five years as general counsel of Erie Insurance Group, before returning to Knox Law to focus his practice on ADR Services.

We congratulate Judge McLaughlin and are proud to call him a colleague. We also congratulate the day's other honorees: Thomas J. Minarcik received the Pro Bono Award; Antonio Howard received the Liberty Bell Award (as nominated by Knox Law's Jeff Scibetta); and Gary N. Horton received the Diversity & Inclusion Award.

Law Day was first observed under President Dwight Eisenhower in 1958 and was established to remember and reflect on our rights and responsibilities as citizens. The ECBA's celebration of Law Day is designed to celebrate our Constitution and our country's legal heritage.

Past recipients of the Chancellor of the Bar Award from Knox Law include Jackson D. Magenau (1968), M. Fletcher Gornall (1988), John M. McLaughlin (1993), Harvey D. McClure (2001), Wallace J. Knox, II (2003), William C. Sennett (2007), Harry K. Thomas (posthumously, 2012), Michael A. Fetzner (2015), Christine H. McClure (2017), and Robert G. Dwyer (2022).

For more information, please contact Sarah Holland.