About David Eric
David Eric Sternberg earned his J.D. from Widener University Delaware School of Law in 1980. He entered the legal profession at a time of changing rules and growing complexity in civil practice. The degree set him on a course that would keep him tied to Pennsylvania courts and the federal circuits that touch the region.
He began working at Wapner Newman in 1983. Records show his role there as a lawyer that year. Since the early 1980s he has maintained a steady presence in legal practice, moving through the routines and challenges that come with courtroom and appellate work. His time at Wapner Newman represents the core of his professional life.
Sternberg is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and before the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Those admissions mean he is qualified to appear in state courts across Pennsylvania and to file briefs or argue appeals at the federal appellate level. Such dual admissions are common for lawyers who handle matters that can travel between trial courts and appellate review.
Over the decades his work has involved tasks typical to trial and appellate practice. He has prepared pleadings, managed case files, and dealt with procedural and substantive issues that arise in complex matters. He has also navigated the particular demands of appellate procedure, where deadlines, citation rules, and concise briefing carry extra weight. Colleagues describe the daily work as a mixture of detailed legal research and client-centered case management.
Wapner Newman has been the firm associated with his career. As of 2026 he continues to be identified with that office. He practices in settings that include Pennsylvania trial courts and the Third Circuit, handling both district-level litigation matters and appeals. His current practice focuses on litigation and appellate work in Pennsylvania and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
