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Hon. Stephen P. Linebaugh (Ret.)
Counsel

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Chair

Back to All Professionals
Hon. Stephen P. Linebaugh (Ret.)
Counsel

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Chair

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York, PA

Judge Stephen Linebaugh has been a staple of the York County legal community for more than 40 years, carrying with him a rich family history in the county dating back to before the Revolutionary War. Judge Linebaugh is a retired judge in the York County Court of Common Pleas, serving two 10-year terms on the bench from 1997 to 2017 and presiding over more than 200 civil trials. In 2010, his fellow judges in York County elected him the county’s president judge for a five-year term.

At Barley Snyder, Judge Linebaugh is part of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group in the area of civil mediation and arbitration, providing alternative dispute resolution throughout the state. He works in broad litigation as well as specialty practices such as medical negligence, personal injury, environmental, employment and real estate. After his retirement from the bench in 2017, he worked across the state as an alternative dispute resolution specialist with a Pittsburgh-based firm. Judge Linebaugh is one of the few attorneys in Central Pennsylvania to be admitted as a panel member of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) – a not-for-profit organization and world’s largest provider of arbitration, mediation and other ADR services – and he is the chair of Barley Snyder’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Service Team. Judge Linebaugh has also worked as a former mediator and arbitrator for the York County Court of Common Pleas, and is a former mediator for the York County Board of Realtors.

He started his career as a law clerk and assistant district attorney in York County, and went into private practice in 1973, where he served as a solicitor for more than a dozen municipalities and authorities throughout the county. His private practice also included emphasis on estate administration and planning, business law, real estate law and mental health law before he took over his judge position in 1998. During his time in private practice, he served as York County’s first mental health review officer, a position he held for more than 20 years.

His work in the courtroom as an attorney and as a judge have made him a sought-after speaker around the state and nationally, as he’s been a guest speaker for organizations such as the National District Attorneys Association, the National Business Institute and the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. In 2015, the Pennsylvania Bar Association awarded him the Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille Award for his contributions to improving civil legal aid in the state.

Judge Linebaugh is a fixture in the York community. He has volunteered his time with leadership positions to beneficial area nonprofit organizations such as the Bob Hoffman YMCA, York County Crimestoppers, the Margaret Moul Foundation, the Boy Scouts of America, YouthBuild and the York County March of Dimes. He was the secretary of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, and is a former assistant chancellor of the diocese.

He is a lifelong resident of Dover Township, the same area his ancestors settled in the 1760s. He and his wife Jane have been married for more than 50 years and have two daughters, both of whom work in the legal profession.

RECOGNITIONS
  • Central Penn Business Journal “Legal Excellence Awards” — Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association, Everyday Leader Award (2006)
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille Judge’s Award (2015)
  • American Inns of Court (Herbert B. Cohen Chapter), Civility and Ethics Award (2019)
EXPERTISE & CERTIFICATION
  • American Arbitration Association (AAA), Panel Member
  • National Judicial College, civil mediator training, May 2008 and May 2017
MEMBERSHIPS
  • York County Bar Association, membership committee, York County Bar Building Committee (former chairman), former member of Chamber Liaison Committee, Legislative Liaison Committee, Real Estate Committee, Estate Planning and Probate Section, Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee (former chairman), Local Rules of Court Committee (former chairman), Nominating Committee
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
PRESENTATION
  • “Religious Accommodations in the Post-COVID Era,” 40th Annual Barley Snyder Employment Law Seminar (May 2023)
  • “The Ultimate Guide to Non-compete and Non-solicitation Agreements”, 37th Annual Barley Snyder Employment Law Seminar (September 2020)
OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
  • President Judge, York County Court of Pleas (2011-2016)
  • Judge, York County Court of Common Pleas (1998-2017)
Hon. Stephen P. Linebaugh (Ret.)
Education
  • University of Pittsburgh School of Law, J.D.
  • University of Pittsburgh, B.A.
Admissions
  • Pennsylvania
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
  • Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
  • Superior Court of Pennsylvania
  • American Arbitration Association
Community Involvement
Margaret Moul Foundation

Board of directors

York County Crimestoppers

Former board of directors

Bob Hoffman YMCA

Former board of directors

Boy Scouts of America

Former district committee member

YouthBuild

Former member of advisory board

York County March of Dimes

Former board of directors

York County Rail-to-Trails Project

Former volunteer

York Hospital Century Project

Former volunteer

Dover Lions Club

Member

Dover Area Jaycees

Former member

Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist, chalicer

Former Sunday school teacher, past senior warden, past junior warden, past vestry member, past trustee of the Elizabeth S. Bonham Fund, former usher, former Legal Council member

Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, secretary of the diocese

former assistant chancellor of the diocese

Related News

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January 16, 2024

Barley Snyder Attorney Linebaugh Appointed to the Northern Central Railway Board of Directors

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May 3, 2023

Barley Snyder Attorney Linebaugh Recognized for Fifty Years of Service as a Member of the York County Bar Association

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February 3, 2023

Barley Snyder Attorney Linebaugh admitted to the American Arbitration Association Panel of Mediators 

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Press Release
October 18, 2021

Barley Snyder Professionals Honored in CPBJ “Legal Excellence Awards”

For Immediate Release  Lancaster, Pa. – The Central Penn Busine...

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News Alert
May 27, 2021

Employee Vaccine Exemption Reviews Available

With companies preparing for employees to return to physical workplaces or ...

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Press Release
May 13, 2021

Barley Snyder Attorneys Named to Arbitration Panel

For Immediate Release Harrisburg, Pa. – The American Arbitration Ass...

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Press Release
July 10, 2020

Barley Snyder Attorney Linebaugh Admitted to Arbitration Association

Media Contact: Michael Sadowski, Communications Coordinatormsadowski@barley...

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Press Release
February 12, 2020

Judge Stephen Linebaugh to Lead Barley Snyder ADR Team

For Immediate Release  Lancaster, Pa. – Barley Snyder attorney ...

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Press Release
November 26, 2019

Barley Snyder Attorney Linebaugh Named to Foundation Board

Media Contact: Michael Sadowski, Communications Coordinatormsadowski@barley...

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Press Release
October 1, 2019

Judge Stephen Linebaugh Joins Barley Snyder

Media Contact: Michael Sadowski, Communications Coordinatormsadowski@barley...

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