Local district justice sworn in as lawyer
A local district justice has been sworn in to practice law as the newest member of Fayette County’s bar. Mike Defino Jr., who covers the areas of Redstone and Franklin townships, said he would treat any law practice as secondary to the job he was elected to do.
He graduated from Penn State University in 1999 with a degree in geo-environmental engineering and planned to attend law school in Harrisburg with the blessing of his father, Mike Sr., who held the district justice post before him.
“Unfortunately, he died my first day,” Defino said.
The elder Defino died suddenly in 1999 while running near his home in Brier Hill. Defino said he decided to come home to take care of his family, and started taking night classes at Duquesne University to earn his law degree. In the wake of his father’s death, Defino took over his father’s job.
“I never gave up on my plan to attend law school, which I did at night while working during the day,” he said.
It took four years of full-time studies, balanced with his day job, but Defino said he has remained dedicated to the district justice post to which he was elected.
“Obviously, any law practice is secondary. I was elected as a district justice, and that’s my primary emphasis. I won’t let any law practice interfere with my job as a district justice in Redstone and Franklin (townships),” he said.
And with his job recently eliminated as part of state-mandated cuts to Fayette’s district justices, Defino said he is looking toward the future.
“I will be running next year,” Defino said.
Because his coverage area was merged with Brownsville District Justice Herb Mitchell’s, Defino will have to run against him.