Baker Selects Lackawanna County Native for Senate Judiciary Committee

(Harrisburg) Clarks Summit native Ryan P. Shovlin will serve as legal counsel and executive director of the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to state Senator Lisa Baker (R-20) who chairs the panel. 

A graduate of Abington Heights High School and Bucknell University, Attorney Shovlin is the son of Dr. Joseph P. Shovlin and Lisa B. Shovlin of Clarks Summit. He received his Juris Doctor from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, where he was a Rubin Public Interest Fellow and Law and Public Policy Scholar. Prior to joining the Senate, he served as a Deputy District Attorney with the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office for over six years, where he prosecuted 38 criminal jury trials to verdict as lead counsel and managed an active caseload of approximately 200 felony and misdemeanor cases.

“Judiciary is an important and consequential committee with broad jurisdiction and a high number of bills referred to it,” said Senator Baker. “Attorney Shovlin’s prosecutorial experience, close interaction with victims, and extensive dealings with individuals across the criminal justice system will be a tremendous asset.”

“We have set an aggressive agenda, focused on protecting vulnerable populations by reforming the guardianship system and giving law enforcement more tools to prevent child sexual abuse. We will continue working on carryover issues from last session, such as juvenile justice and probation and parole,” Attorney Shovlin said. “I am looking forward to serving the residents of the 20th Senatorial District and making a difference in the lives of all Pennsylvanians.”

The 2023-24 session will be Senator Baker’s third as chair of the Judiciary Committee. She is beginning her fifth term representing the 20th District, which includes substantial parts of Luzerne, Pike, and Wayne Counties, and all of Susquehanna and Wyoming Counties.

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Tom Williams twilliams@pasen.gov 570-675-3931

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