Mentor Laurie Pickle

I am the Public Defender for Montour County and the Juvenile Defender for Northumberland County. A 1997 graduate of Saint Edward’s University (Austin, TX) and a 2004 graduate of Washburn University School of Law (Topeka, KS), I have spent much of my career helping children. Prior to law school, I was a therapeutic counselor at a residential treatment facility, in Maine, for adolescents with emotional, behavioral and adjustment disorders. It was through my work with juveniles that I saw the justice system repeatedly fail children in care, which is why I became a lawyer.
Following law school, I was Assistant General Counsel at the Kansas Corporation Commission where I was the attorney for the Transportation Division. I worked with the Commission’s transportation division and the Kansas Highway Patrol to enforce the state laws regulating motor carrier safety; as well as drafted rules and appeared before various legislative committees.
Born and raised in Luzerne County, my husband and I moved back to Pennsylvania after our children were born to raise our two girls. We have resided in Danville since 2007.
Since 2008, I have primarily focused on representing clients as either an assistant public defender or conflict counsel in Montour County, Columbia County and Northumberland County. My passion is helping children in both the juvenile system and dependency system.