Erie PENNSYLVANIA

ABOUT Joseph Edward Sinnott

Mr. Sinnott is a life-long resident of Erie, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Academy High School in 1984 and Gannon University in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. After college, Mr. Sinnott worked for eight years in the environmental protection field, serving as the City of Erie’s Industrial Pretreatment Program Coordinator.

In 1996, Mr. Sinnott enrolled at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law, and graduated magna cum laude in 1999. In the Fall of 1999, Mr. Sinnott published an article on environmental law entitled “The Classic Civil/Common Law Dichotomy and its Effect on the Functional Equivalence of the Contemporary Environmental Law Enforcement Mechanism of the United States and Mexico”. This piece was published in the Penn State University Dickinson School of Law Journal of Environmental Law & Policy, Vol. 8, Number 2.

Mr. Sinnott was admitted to the practice of law in 1999 and concentrated his practice in the areas of civil litigation (with a focus on environmental issues), bankruptcy and Domestic relations law, including divorce, custody, support and children’s issues.

Mr. Sinnott has also been an active member of the Erie community. He served as President of the Erie Maennerchor Club, served as a member of the board of the Joel II Restoration program, worked in political campaigns and served on Erie City Council.

In 2005, Mr. Sinnott was elected the 47th Mayor of the City of Erie, taking office January 2, 2006. He spent twelve years as Mayor, successfully turning around the dire financial condition of the city and focusing on community revitalization, including the pursuit of economic development projects that have helped to define the future of the City of Erie.

Returning to practice in January of 2018, Mr. Sinnott is concentrating his practice on domestic relations law, wills and estate planning, civil litigation, worker’s compensation and personal bankruptcy. He also provides consulting services in the areas of municipal finance, municipal governance, economic development project development and finance.

In addition to his practice, Mr. Sinnott remains active in the Erie community, as well as in local, state and national politics.

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Areas of LAW

  • Bankruptcy
  • Criminal Defense
  • Family

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