About Russell S.
Russell S. Warner built a legal foundation at two well-known schools. He earned a B.A. from Harvard University in 1978 and a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1981. Those years set the tone for a career spent largely in federal and state practice in Pennsylvania.
He began his professional life in the federal courts. In 1981 he served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable D.K. Sloviter of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He also clerked that year for the Honorable W.W. Knox of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Those clerkships put him inside appellate and trial chambers at the outset of his career.
After his clerkships he moved into private practice. He joined MacDonald, Illig, Jones & Britton and rose through the ranks to serve as managing partner. His work has included matters that proceed in state and federal forums. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and is authorized to appear before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Warner’s professional affiliations reflect a steady interest in natural resources law. He is a member of the American Bar Association’s Natural Resources Law Section and the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Natural Resources Law Section. He also maintains membership in the Pennsylvania State Bar and the Erie County Bar Association. Outside the bar he serves as a trustee of the Erie Community Foundation, a role that connects his legal work to local civic efforts.
At the firm he has combined casework and management. As managing partner he has overseen office operations, assigned matters and mentored junior lawyers. He has handled litigation and advisory matters that require attention to both procedural detail and substantive rules in environmental and resource-related disputes.
Colleagues describe Warner as someone who understands courtroom practice and the institutional side of a law firm. He has kept ties to federal practice through his admissions and past clerkships. He remains active in professional groups that concern natural resources and bar matters.
He practices from MacDonald, Illig, Jones & Britton and continues to represent clients in Pennsylvania state and federal courts, including matters relating to natural resources law and related litigation.
