Ruggero J. Aldisert

Who is Ruggero J. Aldisert?

Ruggero John Aldisert is a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Born in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, Aldisert graduated as a bachelor of arts from the University of Pittsburgh in 1941. He served during World War II as a Major in the United States Marine Corps from 1942 to 1946 and earned his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1947. He was also the National President of Italian Sons and Daughters of America from 1954 to 1968.

He entered private law practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1947 and achieved national prominence from 1951 to 1956 as co-defense counsel to Aldo Icardi in The Holohan Murder Case. He became a judge on the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County in 1962, and was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson to be judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in 1968. He became Chief Judge from 1984 to 1986, assuming senior status in 1986, and currently works from his chambers in California.

Aldisert has been an adjunct professor at University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He has written a memoir and several books on jurisprudence and law practice, including The Judicial Process, Logic for Lawyers: A Guide to Clear Legal Thinking, Winning on Appeal, Opinion Writing and A Judge's Advice: 50 Years on the Bench.