Melissa Murphy Weber

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Melissa Murphy Weber (b. 9/26/69) is an attorney with the Blue Bell, Pennsylvania based firm of Elliott Greenleaf & Siedzikowski, P.C. in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. From 2003 through 2004 she served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives representing the 148th Legislative District.

1 Political career
2 Professional career
3 Education
4 Footnotes
5 References

[edit] Political career

Weber has served on the Montgomery County Commission on Women and Families since 2000 by appointment from the county commissioners. In 2007, she serves as chair of the group.^[1]

Weber was elected as a Republican to the Pennsylvania General Assembly in November 2002 defeating Democrat Karen Kaskey. She served one term, losing reelection in a narrow defeat to Democrat Mike Gerber in 2004. The race was the closest in Pennsylvania in 2004.

Weber represented the 148th Legislative District, comprising Lower Merion, Whitemarsh, Whitpain, Conshohocken and Narberth. She served on the House Judiciary, Health and Human Services, Children and Youth, and Urban Affairs Committees. The late Speaker of the House, Matthew J. Ryan, appointed her to serve on the bi-cameral, bi-partisan Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee. While on Judiciary, Ms. Weber served on the subcommittee for Crime and Corrections and was appointed the chairman of the Task Force on Forensic Sciences Law. She was also appointed to the Board of the Children's Benefit Trust Fund and the Crime Prevention Advisory Committee of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

In 2007, Weber sought the Montgomery County Republican Committee endorsement for County Commissioner teamed with District Attorney Bruce Castor.^[2] Weber withdrew from the race on March 21 after she failed to receive the committee's endorsement. "I am a person of my word" Weber said, explaining that she promised she would withdraw if she did not receive the committee's endorsement.^[3]

Weber was subsequently named honorary chairman of Castor's successful joint campaign with incumbent Jim Matthews.

[edit] Professional career

Ms. Weber served as an Assistant District Attorney in Montgomery County from 1996 to 2002, having tried dozens of jury trials before the Court of Common Pleas and District Justices in Montgomery County . She was promoted to Captain of the Domestic Violence Unit in 1999 where, in addition to being lead counsel on several jury trials, she lectured to various victim and law enforcement groups in Montgomery County and throughout Pennsylvania . In 2001, she was appointed to lead Montgomery County 's Weed and Seed Program, aimed at revitalizing the Borough of Norristown. She was simultaneously appointed as Captain of the Combined Law Enforcement Agency Network (CLEAN) Team.

[edit] Education

A native of Montgomery County , Ms. Weber received her LL.M. in Trial Advocacy from Temple University School of Law, graduating with Honors, in 2002; her J.D. from Widener University School of Law in 1995; and, her B.A. in Economics from Denison University in 1991. In college, Ms. Weber achieved All-American honors in lacrosse and the two-year elected captain of Denison's nationally ranked women's lacrosse team. While in law school, she served as a two-year member and later Vice-President of the Moot Court Honor Society and was the recipient of the best brief award and best advocacy awards in national law school competitions. She was also invited to be a member of the Moe Levine Trial Advocacy Honor Society. She was admitted into the Order of the Barristers and worked as a certified legal intern in the Public Interest Law Clinic where, while in law school, she represented an inmate of the State Correctional Institute in Camp Hill in a civil rights action before the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.