In Remembrance of Baldwin Trustee Gene E.K. Pratter (P ’94)

The Honorable Gene E.K. Pratter (P ’94), Baldwin Board of Trustee member, U.S. District Court judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Carey Law School, passed away on May 17.

 

Judge Pratter was not only a valued member of Baldwin’s Board of Trustees, but also a consummate professional, an extraordinary lawyer and federal court judge, the parent of an alumna and an integral part of our Baldwin community. Her legal acumen, dedication to ethics and governance and professional leadership will leave an indelible mark at Baldwin, and her loss will be deeply felt by all who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside her.  

 

Judge Pratter became a federal district court judge in the Eastern District of PA in 2004. Before serving on the court, she was a partner and General Counsel of the law firm of Duane Morris LLP. A 1975 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Stanford University, she was a member of the American Bar Association’s Litigation Section and the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Committees on Professional Responsibility and Professional Guidance.

 

Judge Pratter welcomed many Baldwin girls to her chambers over the years to explain the legal system from her judge role and answer their questions. Senior students in Dr. Athan Biss's Constitutional Law elective have made numerous visits throughout the years to the U.S. Court House, where they met with Judge Pratter, and Baldwin’s 5^th grade has a longstanding tradition of participating in a Naturalization Ceremony at the United States District Court in Philadelphia with Judge Pratter. Each year, our 5^th grade girls recited a poem that shared important American events and led the Pledge of Allegiance for all those in attendance! See photos from this year’s spring trip here.

 

In remembrance, Dr. Biss writes, “Judge Pratter was a passionate advocate for civic education and generously shared her time and expertise with the girls and young women of the Baldwin School for decades. For students, visits to Judge Pratter served as bookends to their education at Baldwin. As fifth graders, Baldwin classes traveled to Judge Pratter’s courtroom to observe the naturalization ceremony of newly minted U.S. citizens. This poignant moment provided a hands-on civics lesson on the diversity of the United States, the importance of citizenship and its attendant rights and responsibilities. As seniors, students returned to the federal courthouse in downtown Philadelphia. During these visits, they toured Judge Pratter’s chambers, observed ongoing legal proceedings and heard from various women in law enforcement and legal professions. Judge Pratter’s wit and glamorous style charmed the students. Alongside family photos and humorous decorative pillows, the students were delighted to discover framed pictures of their younger selves clad in blue tunics attending the naturalization ceremony. Students invariably left these visits with rejuvenated respect for public service, a deeper sense of what a career in law might look like and an inspirational female role model. The mother of a Baldwin alumna, Judge Pratter, liked to remark that her only regret was not being able to attend Baldwin herself. We mourn her loss and promise to keep her memory alive.”

 

Judge Pratter was a National Association of Women Judges member and served on various committees within the federal judiciary. She was the author of several articles concerning ethics and professional conduct and served as a mediator and arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association and as an Overseer of the Penn Law School from 1993 to 1999.

 

We are deeply grateful for the numerous networking events that Judge Pratter and her husband, Bob, hosted for Baldwin over the years. Their unwavering support, both as members of Baldwin's Board of Trustees and on fundraising committees, has been invaluable. Their daughter, Paige Pratter '94, also served on Baldwin's Board of Trustees from 2013-2019, further cementing their family's commitment to our community.

 

Click here to read more about Judge Pratter in The Philadelphia Inquirer.