For Immediate Release
Lancaster, Pa. – Barley Snyder is proud to announce that partner Jill Sebest Welch has been named a 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient by the Manheim Township Alumni Association.
This prestigious annual award recognizes Manheim Township High School (MTHS) graduates who have made significant contributions to their professions and communities. The award also serves to inspire current students, alumni and staff by highlighting the positive impact of former graduates.
A 1983 MTHS graduate, Welch distinguished herself both academically and athletically. She was a member of the National Honor Society, student council and served as class vice president, in addition to participating on the softball, field hockey and swim teams. Welch went on to attend Wittenberg University, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and a minor in biology. There, she was a member of the Wittenberg College Honor Society, Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society and Alpha Delta Pi sorority, and a four-year softball team student athlete. Welch later earned her Juris Doctor with honors from Rutgers University School of Law, where she served as a State Constitutional Law Editor for the Rutgers Law Journal, the university’s student-run state constitutional law review.
“I am honored and humbled to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award from my alma mater,” said Welch. “It is a privilege to be recognized by an institution that has played such a formative role in my life and that of my family. I hope to encourage the next generation of students to work hard and make a difference in our community.”
Welch is a partner in Barley Snyder’s Employment Practice Group, where she counsels companies in handling workplace challenges, helps clients resolve disputes, and litigates claims and cases in all aspects of labor and employment law. Welch served as Chair of the firm’s Employment Practice Group from 2020 to 2024 and has been recognized as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer eleven times, underscoring her commitment to legal excellence and client service.
Beyond her legal practice, Welch contributes to her community through several leadership roles. She currently serves as Council President of the Pennsylvania Dutch Council Scouting America, having been a member of the board of directors since 2018. She has volunteered in various roles with Scout Troop 99 as both of her sons earned their Eagle awards. In addition, she has served in past roles with the Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board, the Lancaster Family YMCA, the Lancaster Bar Association Employment Law Section, and as a member of the Lancaster County EDC Center for Regional Analysis Advisory Committee. Welch is a frequent speaker on the topics of legal ethics and employment law.
Welch, alongside fellow 2025 award recipients Jeremy Rubenstein and John Snoke, will be honored at a breakfast reception on June 5 at Calvary Church in Lancaster. As part of the celebration, honorees will also address the 2025 graduating class during commencement rehearsal following the reception.
About Barley Snyder
Barley Snyder is a law firm based in Pennsylvania with more than 130 attorneys practicing from offices located in Lancaster, York, Reading, Harrisburg, Lebanon, Malvern, Hanover, Gettysburg and Schuylkill Haven, Pa., and Hunt Valley and Columbia, Md. The firm serves businesses, individuals and organizations in all major areas of civil law including business, employment, immigration, employee benefits, finance & creditors’ rights, intellectual property, litigation, estate planning and administration, real estate, tax, construction, environment and energy, health care, education, municipal authority, hospitality, senior living, cybersecurity and food and agribusiness. www.barley.com | @BarleySnyder
