Melanie Garner, an associate at Locks Law Firm was recently appointed to the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice (PAJ).
The PAJ is committed to preserving civil justice and dedicated to protecting individuals injured in Pennsylvania. With headquarters in Philadelphia and Harrisburg, leaders and members assist plaintiff attorneys in better representing their clients, and advocate for the integrity of a robust civil justice system.
As a new member to the Board of Governors, Garner will now be among the decision makers at PAJ, participating in the promotion of proactive legislation that preserves the rights of injured victims, and supporting attorneys throughout the state as they work to ensure justice for their clients.
“We want to congratulate Melanie on such a prestigious appointment,” said Marc Weingarten, partner at Locks and a fellow member of the Board. “Her appointment to the Board of Governors for PAJ adds another dimension to Melanie’s practice.”
Garner focuses her practice on representing individual plaintiffs, as well as their family members, who have been seriously injured by another’s wrongdoing. This includes giving a voice to workers exposed to asbestos or other hazardous substances, without being provided adequate warnings or appropriate safety measures and advocating on behalf of someone’s parent or grandparent who is elderly and disabled, but has been neglected by the nursing home or hospital entrusted with their care. Garner also represents qui tam relators (whistleblowers) in state and federal false claims litigation, bringing suit on behalf of the government to recover taxpayer funds lost due to fraud.
Garner, a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law, served as a Judicial Law Clerk in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division and worked as an attorney in Maryland for several years prior to joining Locks. Throughout her career, Garner has briefed and argued numerous dispositive and other motions before trial courts in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland, as well as the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Garner is a member of the American Association for Justice, American Bar Association, New Jersey Association for Justice, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, Pennsylvania Bar Association, and Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association.
Garner also volunteers at a Philadelphia public high school, engaging students in critical thinking about law, politics and dispute resolution as a part of the Advancing Civics Education (A.C.E.) program through the Philadelphia Bar Association.
About Locks Law
With a litigation team of 23 personal injury attorneys and nearly 100 outstanding legal professionals and auxiliary staff members, Locks Law Firm serves plaintiffs and is dedicated to victims of corporate neglect and malfeasance. The firm, with offices in Philadelphia, New York, Cherry Hill, NJ, and Englewood Cliffs, NJ, is known for groundbreaking verdicts and settlements in mesothelioma, asbestos, pharmaceutical, mass tort, personal injury, and product liability cases. For more information, please visit LocksLaw.com.
About Pennsylvania Association for Justice
The Pennsylvania Association for Justice (PAJ) was founded in 1968 as the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association when two ends of the state joined together, recognizing the need for a cohesive and effective statewide organization to uphold and defend the Pennsylvania legal system. PAJ’s mission is to promote a fair and effective justice system, and to support attorneys as they work to ensure that any person injured by the misconduct or negligence of others can obtain justice in Pennsylvania’s courtrooms.
