Pennsylvania state Supreme Court Justice Debra Todd leads member of the court to Josh Shapiro’s inauguration as Pennsylvania’s 48th governor, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, at the state Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa. Todd, who has been leading the high court since former Chief Justice Max Baer died late last year, will be formally installed in a ceremony set for Pittsburgh on Friday, Jan. 20. She is the first woman to serve as the court’s chief justice. (Joe Hermitt/The Patriot-News via AP)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania state Supreme Court Justice Debra Todd is about to be formally installed as the state’s chief justice. She is the first woman to hold that office. The ceremony is set for Friday afternoon in a downtown Pittsburgh hotel. She’s been serving as the court’s top-ranking jurist since Chief Justice Max Baer died more than three months ago. Todd is chief justice because she has served longer than any of her colleagues. Todd is the daughter of a steelworker and grew up in Ellwood City. She is 65 years old and a Pitt Law graduate, and she has been a lawyer for 18 years.