About Peter John
Peter John Hart studied law and business at Temple University in the mid-1960s before completing his legal education at Loyola University New Orleans, where he earned a law degree. That training set the stage for a long career split between public service and private practice. He kept classroom lessons close at hand while moving into courtroom and office work in the years that followed.
Hart began his legal career as an associate at Smathers, Merrigan and Herlong in 1973. Three years later he joined the Chester County District Attorney’s Office as an assistant district attorney, handling prosecutorial duties at the county level. By 1980 he had moved into the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, working in the Organized Crime and Public Corruption Section. He remained in the Attorney General’s office through the early 1980s, later serving as a staff attorney in the Civil Division.
Returning to private practice in the mid-1980s, Hart worked as an associate at Lawrence Evans Grant and Associates in 1985. He took on a management role a few years later, serving as the managing lawyer for the Harrisburg office of Post and Schell in 1987. In 1989 he became a partner at Karp and Hart Law Offices, a position that reflects decades of trial and office experience. His career includes work in criminal prosecutions, civil litigation and administrative matters across state and federal forums.
Hart’s professional affiliations trace a steady engagement with local and statewide legal communities. He has been a member of the Pennsylvania State Bar since the 1970s and belongs to the Chester County Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Association for Justice. He served on the Chester County Bar Association board in the 1990s and was its president in 1999. He holds membership in the American Association for Justice and has taken leadership roles in community organizations as well; he served on the board of Big Brothers/Sisters of Chester County and has been involved with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Southeast Pennsylvania. Outside the law he has been active in the Brandywine Valley Ski Association, including a term as president.
Hart is admitted to practice in the Federal Circuit, the D.C. Circuit and Pennsylvania. He brings courtroom experience from both prosecution and defense perspectives. He currently practices at Karp and Hart Law Offices, handling civil and criminal litigation and appeals in state and federal courts.
