Biographic Sketch Prior to her elevation to the position of City Solicitor in 1996, she served as Chair of the Corporate Group for the City Law Department and a member of the Law Department Executive Committee from 1994 to 1996. In both her capacity as Corporate Chair and City Solicitor, she served as lead counsel to a wide variety of City officials, departments, agencies and commissions on various significant transactions and litigation matters, including the 2000 Republican National Convention Service Agreements, the USAIRWAYS International and Commuter Terminals Project, the Gateway Visitors Center and Liberty Bell Project, the Delinquent Real Estate Tax Lien Sale and Securitization, the HealthChoices Behavioral Health System Agreements, the Curram-Frohmhold Prison Facilities Agreements, and the MarketPlace/Redwood International Airport Concession Agreement. Prior to joining the City of Philadelphia Law Department in March of 1994, Ms. Franklin-Suber was with the Business Department of a large Philadelphia law firm. She joined the firm as an Associate in September 1986. In 1992, she became the first woman partner in the Business Department of this firm. She was the first African-American woman partner in the history of the firm. Her areas of concentration included commercial transactions, general corporate matters, general securities law and regulation, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, joint venture and development agreements, and investment company and investment adviser regulatory matters. From 1985 to 1986 she served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Clifford Scott Green of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. From 1983 to 1985, Ms. Franklin-Suber served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. She also served as Judge Higginbotham's research associate, teaching assistant, and lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania from 1982 to 1983. In addition, Ms. Franklin-Suber was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and taught Appellate Advocacy I in both the Fall of 1998 and 1999. Ms. Franklin-Suber's professional associations and activities include the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Philadelphia Bar Association, the Barristers' Association of Philadelphia, Inc., and the National Bar Association Women Lawyers Division, Philadelphia Chapter. She is currently a member of the ABA Business Law Section, the ABA Minority Partners Conference, ABA Women Rainmakers, and the ABA Minority Counsel Program. Ms. Franklin-Suber is also a member of the Business Development Committee of DuPont's Women Lawyers Network. She is currently serving on the Philadelphia Bar Association's 2002 Hall of Fame Committee. She served recently as Vice Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Government Lawyers Committee. She has served as a member of the Advisory Board and as a past President of the Barristers' Association of Philadelphia, Inc. She served on the Host Committee for the 1999 National Bar Association Annual Convention and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the National Bar Association. She is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association and the Board of Trustees of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation. Ms. Franklin-Suber was appointed by former Governor Robert P. Casey to the Governor's Advisory Commission on African-American Affairs. She was also appointed by the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to the Federal Magistrates' Merit Selection Panel for the appointment and reappointment of federal magistrates. Ms. Franklin-Suber's publications include "Keeping Thurgood Marshall's Promise-A Venerable Voice for Equal Justice," 16 Harvard Black Letter Law Journal, 27 (Spring 2000); "Remarks Made at Judge A. Leon Higginbotham's Funeral," IX Vital Issues: The Journal of African American Speeches 3 (1999); "Developing a Successful In-house Continuing Legal Education Program," Municipal Lawyer, Nov./Dec 1997; "The Unique Path of A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. A Voice for Equal Justice Through Law", Law & Inequality: A Journal of Theory and Practice, Aug. 1991; "Trash Collection: Judicial Decision on Pricing Threatens Municipalities' Ability to Provide Basic Service", The Authority, August, September 1987; "United States v. City of Philadelphia: A Continued Quest for and Effective Remedy for Police Misconduct", 7 Black L.J. 18 (1981). Ms. Franklin-Suber was recently profiled by the Pennsylvania Bar Association Government Lawyers Committee in "Serving the City of Brotherly Love," News & Views, Winter 1999. Among her many speaking engagements, she was the Luncheon Keynote Speaker at Eleanor Jean Hendley's Teenshop Awards Luncheon in June 2000. She was honored for her community service by the Associated Alumni of Central High School at its Annual Banquet in June 1999. She was the Featured Speaker of Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity International at Temple University Fox School of Business & Management in March 1999. She was the Luncheon Keynote Speaker at the University of Pennsylvania Black Law Student Association's Sadie T. M. Alexander Conference in March 1999. She was the Keynote Speaker at the American Bar Association's Young Lawyer's Conference on Public Service in October 1998. She was the Commencement Speaker at The Springside School Graduation in May 1997 and the Keynote Speaker at the "All for One" Conference for Independent Schools, hosted by The Springside School in November 1999. Ms. Franklin-Suber is active in numerous civic and community associations and has received numerous awards and citations for outstanding and dedicated service, including: The Shirley Chisholm Award, Philadelphia Congress of the National Political Congress of Black Women (1999); The Outstanding Achievement Award, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (1997); The Community Service Award, Schnader, Harrison Segal & Lewis (1997); and The Outstanding Young Leader of the Year Award Finalist, The Philadelphia Jaycees (1995, 1996). She recently served on the Advisory Board of the African- American Historical and Cultural Museum's Exhibit, "Call to Order: African Americans and the Law." Ms. Franklin-Suber is a graduate of the Springside School, Vassar College (B.A. 1979), and the University of Pennsylvania (J.D. 1982). She is presently a candidate for an LL.M. in Trial Advocacy at Temple University School of Law.
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