Title
Honoring the Life and Legacy of Stephen J. Harmelin, Esquire.
Body
WHEREAS, Stephen J. Harmelin was born on May 7, 1939 to a Jewish family and raised in Northwest Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Harmelin graduated from Central High School and went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated cum laude in 1960. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1963, Harmelin briefly served in active duty in the United States Coast Guard; and
WHEREAS, A call from the White House to a Harvard fraternity for Harmelin would land him a position as Director of Speechwriting for President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. While serving in the White House, Harmelin was tasked by the President with creating and developing the prestigious White House Fellows program; and
WHEREAS, In 1965 Harmelin returned to his hometown of Philadelphia to begin his career as a high-powered corporate law and financial securities attorney at Dilworth Paxson LLP under former Mayor Richardson Dilworth. He stayed at the firm till his retirement in 2019, departing only briefly in 1970 to serve as a Special Assistant District Attorney under District Attorney and future U.S. Senator Arlen Specter; and
WHEREAS, Harmelin's legal work included serving as General Counsel for the Legislative Reapportionment Commission on behalf of the Pennsylvania State Senate and the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1992 following the 1990 U.S. Census. From 2007 to 2008, he worked as the receiver ad litem for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, recovering $170 million, the largest in the commission's history. Harmelin also served as a member of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals Task Force to select counsel in certain lawsuits; and
WHEREAS, Harmelin was consistently chosen by a survey of his fellow lawyers to be listed in the publication, The Best Lawyers in America. Harmelin lectured on law firm management, corporate reorganizations, and other financial transactions for years. He served as Chairma...
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