James R. Steadman, Esq., CELA

"Of Counsel"

James R. Steadman, Esq., CELA*, the founder of the firm, is now retired and serving in an "of Counsel" capacity. Jim is a native of western Erie County, having been born and raised in Girard and a graduate of Grove City College, where he earned his B.A. in Political Science. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Dickinson School of Law  He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and also before the United States Supreme Court.


Jim served as president of the Erie County Bar Association in 1991 and also served as the Chairman of the Solo and Small Firm Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. He  has been a lecturer for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, the National Business Institute and the Pennsylvania Bar Association as well as the Erie County Bar Association on a variety of topics ranging from estate planning to small office management and computerization. He was certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation in 2005 and his certification was renewed in 2010 and 2015. 


Community activities: Jim has been active in a number of community activities including the Erie Philharmonic and the Rice Avenue Community Public Library. He served Girard Borough as a Councilman. He is the former President of the Erie County Historical Society. He was the secretary of Penn Attorneys Title Insurance Co. where he served on the board from the founding of the company in 1980 until it was taken over by First American Title Insurance Company in 2005. He is also active in the Episcopal Church and currently serves as Chancellor of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania.


Jim makes his home in Erie with his wife, Alison. He and his wife have three daughters and four grandchildren.