On admission to the W.D. Pa.

A little while ago, I added the Western District of Pennsylvania to the list of places where I am admitted to practice. One of the magistrate judges there clerked for Judge Williams, and so I got her to swear me in. I guess I know about 50 lawyers in Pennsylvania, most of them in Lancaster County, some in the Philadelphia area, including Howard Bashman, who just passed the 15 year mark of excellence in blogging.

The one that got away

Years ago, I followed a case involving the former director of the Grayson County Department of Social Services. In that case, one of the issues was whether the local department of social services was a state agency for purposes of the Eleventh Amendment, and Judge Wilson concluded that it was. A petition to the U.S. Supreme Court was filed in that case, but not on that issue.

Today, in Pittsylvania Department of Social Services v. Gosney, the Court of Appeals in an opinion by Judge Petty, joined by Judges Humphreys and Chafin (so three of my favorites) held that a local department of social services is not a state agency for purpose of the application of the Administrative Process Act. And so, social services wins coming and going.