About Philip
Philip Gelso earned his law degree from Villanova University in 1995 after completing a Bachelor of Science at the University of Scranton in 1991. He entered the profession at a time when local courts and federal dockets in Pennsylvania presented complex criminal and civil questions. His education set a practical tone for the work that followed.
Gelso began his legal career in private practice. He served as an associate at Moses and Gelso, LLP in 1998. Two years later he opened the Law Offices of Philip Gelso, where he handled trial and appellate matters. He later practiced under the Briechle & Gelso, LLC name in 2007 before continuing again as the Law Offices of Philip Gelso in 2013. That trajectory reflects sustained practice in the northeastern Pennsylvania legal community.
His court admissions include the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania state courts. He has also served on Criminal Justice Act panels. He was a member of the U.S. District Court of MDPA CJA Panel from 2002 to 2009 and currently has membership on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit CJA Panel. Those roles brought regular work in federal appointed-defense assignments and appellate filings.
Professional associations have been a visible part of Gelso’s career. He holds memberships in the Pennsylvania State Bar, the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association and the Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association. He belongs to national groups that represent defense practitioners, including the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, where he serves as president. He is also a member of the National Trial Lawyers – Top 100 Trial Lawyers and participates in local civic and charitable boards as solicitor for Wyoming Valley Children’s Association and Maternal & Family Health Services, Inc.
Gelso’s courtroom work spans trials and appeals. He handles criminal defense in both state and federal courts and regularly files appeals at the circuit level. Colleagues and opponents alike describe him as thorough in preparation and direct in argument. Outside the courtroom he has taken on advisory roles for nonprofit organizations and contributed time to community boards and memorial committees.
He continues to practice in Pennsylvania, maintaining an active presence in trial and appellate litigation while handling defense and related civil matters. He currently concentrates his practice on criminal defense, appellate work, and related civil litigation.
