Areas of Expertise: Judy came to RHLS in 1996 with prior experience in private practice and legal services. She works on a broad range of policy initiatives and homeownership development projects, primarily focusing on large-scale developments of homeownership units for sale to mixed-income buyers.
Community Involvement: Judy recently completed service as an elected member of the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association and serves on the Executive Committee of the Bar Association’s Real Property Section.
Awards: Judy has received several awards including the 2008 Andrew Hamilton Award, as well as, special recognition for her gender bias work and for her work as a founder of the Tangled Title and Philadelphia LawWorks programs. In 2008, Judy received The Philadelphia Bar Association Andrew Hamilton Award for exemplary service in the public interest.
Experience and Education: Judy has worked with the state and local bar associations to enhance the status of women in the legal profession, to protect women's rights, and to eliminate gender and other biases in the Pennsylvania justice system. She received her A.B. from Wellesley College and her J.D. from the Boston University School of Law.
Praise for Judy:
"Judy Berkman is the tireless visionary whose hard work and persistence resulted in the formation of HomeSmart, the collaborative precursor and foundation of VIP's current Tangled Title project. Without Judy, there would be no organized relief for Philadelphians in danger of losing their homes because of unresolved title issues. In addition to her determined efforts to insure that the program was suitably launched, initially funded, and responsibly administered, Judy was the creative genius behind the name for the program itself....Tangled Title. Judy also had the inspiration to name our collaborative community economic development project Philadelphia LawWorks, a name that was instantly popular, and that has become the brand for VIP's community economic development and transactional law. Judy is receiving special recognition this year to honor her energy, commitment, dedication, and seemingly boundless creativity."
-From her 2005 VIP Special Recognition Award