Richard M. Serbin - Lawyer in Altoona, PA

Richard M. Serbin is aleader in the Sexual Abuse Division of Janet, Janet Suggs, LLC, anational law firm that has successfully represented thousands of survivors ofsexual abuse. Mr. Serbin has been nationally recognized as a crusader for therights of those abused by Catholic Clergy and as one of the first legaladvocates for survivors of abuse by Catholic priests and clergy. His diligence,commitment, experience, and accomplishments representing hundreds of survivorsagainst the Catholic Church are widely recognized for helping to bring theseatrocities to light.

He hasappeared on NBC National Nightly News, the Today Show, NPR and other radiostations, and has been cited or quoted in The New York Times, The Wall StreetJournal, USA Today, the Daily Beast, and numerous other national and Pennsylvanianewspapers. Mr. Serbin was recently on the cover and featured in the 2019Pennsylvania/Delaware Super Lawyers? edition for his work uncoveringthe truth behind clergy sexual abuse.

Since1987, Mr. Serbin has devoted himself to representing victims of sexual abuse,most often in the context of clergy child molestation cases. He was at theforefront of exposing the appalling and evil actions of bishops and churchleaders in protecting priests who committed vile and unspeakable acts againstinnocent children fifteen years before the Boston Globe exposednationally the scandalous conduct of the Boston Archdiocese. He has representedchild abuse survivors in claims against every diocese in Pennsylvania, and in theprocess, revealed the ugly and unconscionable actions of church leaders, whichwere years later publicly disclosed in various Pennsylvania Grand Jury reports.

Mr. Serbintried and won the first case in Pennsylvania against a diocese, bishop andchild predator. That case, Hutchison v Luddy and the Diocese ofAltoona-Johnstown, et al, created new law in the field of sexual abuse. It gavesexual assault survivors the right to bring a claim against the church fornegligent retention and supervision of a pedophile priest, along with the rightto recover punitive (punishment) damages for the outrageous acts of covering upand moving from parish to parish known child predators.

ThePennsylvania Grand Jury called upon Mr. Serbin to provide expert and factualtestimony about the rampant sexual abuse he played a major role in uncovering.He assisted the PA Attorney Generals office in identifying 109 childpredators, covering assignments in every diocese in Pennsylvania. His clientscases are profiled throughout the Grand Jurys reports. The Hutchison vLuddy case is cited extensively in two Grand Jury Reports (March 2016 andAugust 2018) following a two-year investigation commissioned by thePennsylvania Attorney General.

Mr. Serbinhas successfully argued major cases in the Pennsylvania Superior and Supremecourts, which are cited throughout the country by other courts, in legaltreatises and numerous law review articles, as establishing legal precedent invarious areas of the law.

Mr. Serbinexpanded his practice to representing survivors of abuse nationwide. He hasrepresented hundreds of victims of child sexual abuse involving employers,teachers, counselors, coaches, and doctors. Additionally, he has successfullysecured settlements for child sexual abuse survivors whose claims were outsidethe statute of limitations. He has earned a reputation for being acompassionate and understanding advocate for those who have endured the traumaof being sexually assaulted by someone who betrays their trust and respect.

He is theauthor of When Clergy Fail Their Flocks published in Trial Magazine,the Journal of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (May 2002). Mr.Serbin has lent his expertise and been a speaker at seminars offered by varioustrial lawyer and professional organizations.