About Mr. Robert J Gillespie
Mr. Robert J Gillespie Jr built a career that bridges public service and private practice. He studied political science at the College of the Holy Cross, earning his B.A. in 1964. He went on to Dickinson School of Law, receiving his J.D. in 1969.
Early in his career he entered state government. In 1972 he served as an Assistant Lawyer General for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. That same period saw him move into private practice as a partner at Bigelow, Gillespie and Cooper. He then shifted back to county-level prosecution in Luzerne County, holding the post of Assistant District Lawyer in 1973. He rose through the county ranks, becoming First Assistant District Lawyer in 1978 and District Lawyer in 1981.
After years in public office he returned to private practice. In 1986 he was listed as a partner in private practice. Later, beginning in 2003, he is identified as a senior litigator and member of Gillespie Miscavige Ferdinand & Baranko, LLC. His admissions include the bar of Pennsylvania, the United States Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, reflecting a practice that has extended to federal appellate work.
Gillespie’s professional life is threaded through long-standing participation in legal organizations. He is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a designation noted from 2011 onward. Philadelphia Magazine has included him among its “Super Lawyers” listings since 2007. Records show membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum beginning in 2006, and involvement with the American Association for Justice and the Pennsylvania Bar Association dating back to 1972. Locally, he has been part of the Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association, where he has served as chair of the publicity committee, and the Lower Luzerne Bar Association. He also served on the executive committee of the Pennsylvania District Lawyers Association from 1982 to 1986.
Colleagues and court filings reflect a long tenure in both trial work and appellate proceedings. His career moves alternate between public prosecutorial roles and private litigation practice, a pattern that shaped his courtroom experience and contacts across Pennsylvania.
He currently practices as a senior litigator at Gillespie Miscavige Ferdinand & Baranko, LLC, where his work concentrates on litigation and trial matters.
