Overview
James Eisenhower is an attorney and former federal prosecutor with more than thirty years of experience in government and private practice who centers his legal practice on white-collar criminal defense, internal investigations, and compliance advice.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf appointed James to a four-year term as a judge on the eight-member Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline. Judge Eisenhower was sworn in on January 31, 2019, by Justice Debra Todd, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. In May 2022, he was elected as President Judge, a position he served until March 2023.
Judge Eisenhower was a White House Fellow in the administration of President Bill Clinton where he served on the National Security Council staff. He drafted Presidential Decision Directive 42 on international organized crime, and the Executive Order that seized the assets of the Cali cartel, then the world’s largest cocaine distribution network. He was a primary administration liaison to the International War Crimes Tribunal, The Hague, the Netherlands for Bosnia and Rwanda.
A two-time Democratic candidate for attorney general of Pennsylvania (2000 and 2004), James served the Commonwealth during the administration of Governor Edward G. Rendell as Chairman of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), the Commonwealth’s criminal justice agency, and Chairman of the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (PICA), the state body that oversees the budget of the city of Philadelphia.
Judge Eisenhower began his legal career as an Honor’s Program recruit at the United States Department of Justice, where he served as a federal prosecutor in the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, enforcing our nation’s laws against police brutality and hate crimes. He also served as an Assistant United States Attorney, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where he prosecuted cases of police and political corruption, narcotics and weapons offenses, and insurance fraud. He was awarded the Attorney General’s commendation for “Sustained Superior Performance of Duty.”
Judge Eisenhower served as a law clerk to the Honorable J. Sydney Hoffman, Superior Court of Pennsylvania. He is also an adjunct professor at Temple University Beasley School of Law specializing in election law and most recently, Jurisprudence – The Philosophy of Law.
Representative Experience
- Represented the Chief of Staff to the Democratic Leader of the House in the Pennsylvania “bonusgate matter”.
- Represents a member of Congress.
- Represented the former Chief of Staff to Governor Ed Rendell in a federal investigation.
- Represented the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board in the forfeiture of the Foxwoods Gaming License, resulting in a 50 million dollar forfeiture to the Commonwealth, the largest gaming-related forfeiture in the history of Pennsylvania.
- Handled matters related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and involving wiretaps authorized by Title III of the federal criminal code.
- Successfully represented the Chief of Staff of the US House of Representatives in a federal criminal investigation and related ethics matters.
Professional & Community Activities
- Adjunct Professor, Temple University Beasley School of Law, Specializing in Election Law and Jurisprudence–The Philosophy of Law
- President Judge, Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline, 2022–2023
- Chair, Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (PICA), 2007–2011
- Chair, Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, 2003–2004
- Democratic Candidate, Attorney General of Pennsylvania, 2000, 2004
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation
Professional Recognition
- Selected to The Best Lawyers in America® in the area of White Collar/Government Investigations, 2020-2023
- Edward J. McLaughlin Award for Distinguished Service to Victims, Victim/Witness Services of South Philadelphia, 2009
- Eisenhower Fellow, 2002
- White House Fellow, 1995
- Sustained Superior Performance of Duty Award–US Department of Justice, 1992
- Certificate of Commendation for Outstanding Performance in the Activities of the Civil Rights Division, US Department of Justice, 1988
- Honors Recruit – US Department of Justice, 1987
- Marshall Scholar, 1982.
Further information on methodologies is available via these links.
Speeches & Presentations
- “Judicial Ethics 2022,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute Webinar, Wednesday, December 7, 2022.
- “Judicial Ethics & Discipline in Pennsylvania,” Philadelphia Bar Association Webinar, Wednesday, October 26, 2022.
Representative Experience
- Represented the Chief of Staff to the Democratic Leader of the House in the Pennsylvania “bonusgate matter”.
- Represents a member of Congress.
- Represented the former Chief of Staff to Governor Ed Rendell in a federal investigation.
- Represented the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board in the forfeiture of the Foxwoods Gaming License, resulting in a 50 million dollar forfeiture to the Commonwealth, the largest gaming-related forfeiture in the history of Pennsylvania.
- Handled matters related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and involving wiretaps authorized by Title III of the federal criminal code.
- Successfully represented the Chief of Staff of the US House of Representatives in a federal criminal investigation and related ethics matters.
Insights
- Webinar: Judicial Ethics 2022
- Webinar: Judicial Ethics and Discipline in Pennsylvania – LIVE WEBCAST
- James Eisenhower Elected President Judge of the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline
- James Eisenhower to Serve as Election Expert at ACS/Temple Law Dems Redistricting Event
- 26 Attorneys Named Among the Best Lawyers in America
- Dilworth Partner Jim Eisenhower Elected to the Board of the Association of Marshall Scholars
- Eighteen Dilworth Paxson Attorneys Named to 2020 The Best Lawyers in America© List
- Governor Wolf Appoints Dilworth Paxson’s James Eisenhower to PA Court of Judicial Discipline
- Dilworth Paxson’s James Eisenhower will be a Panelist at “Election Hacking, Ballot Security: Protecting Our Vote” CLE on October 2
- Dilworth Paxson’s James Eisenhower Will Lead a Session of the Eisenhower Institute’s Inside Politics Program on November 12
- Dilworth’s James Eisenhower Appeared on 6abc’s Inside Story on February 5
- Dilworth’s Ajay Raju and James Eisenhower Appeared on 6abc’s Inside Story on January 8
- Dilworth Paxson’s James Eisenhower Will Appear on 6abc’s Inside Story on November 20
- Dilworth Paxson’s James Eisenhower Appeared on Special LIVE Evening Edition of 6abc’s Inside Story on October 19
- Dilworth Paxson’s James Eisenhower Will Appear On 6abc’s Inside Story On October 9