Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

I agreed to complete this Q&A because I myself have previously used this blog to learn more about candidates running for office. I feel it is often difficult to find information about candidates, especially when most people do not know that Judicial candidates have a different set of ethical rules to adhere to compared to other candidates.

Meet the Candidate

Welcome to the 2025 election season series ‘Political Q&A’ – interviews with candidates throughout Pennsylvania. Since 2013, we’ve published nearly 150 of these interviews. We use an email Q&A format to allow the candidates to speak directly to you, the readers.

Candidates can be anywhere in Pennsylvania running for any level of office. Please note that these are not necessarily endorsements, more of an opportunity for candidates to connect with the LGBTQ community, progressives neighbors, and others with an interest in Pennsylvania. If your candidate would like to participate, contact us pghlesbian at gmail dot com. We welcome candidates at all levels of government across the entire Commonwealth. We publish in the order that they are returned and will accept Q&A’s until Election Day.

Please note that Pennsylvania has over 500 school districts. We’d like to talk with candidates in any one of them. Tell your district’s story statewide.

Important to note that I do not edit the responses, including their framing of LGBTQ identities.

These Q&A’s are lengthy because there is a lot of ground to cover. This year, I created about 20 questions per candidate. This is and should be a deep dive because you deserve as much information as possible.

By participating in this Q&A series, candidates are saying that they

• are an LGBTQIA+ ally, specifically supporting equality and dignity for transgender persons
• identify as pro-choice

Lauren Leiggi was the very first candidate to return her Q&A. I found her story deeply compelling as she is a queer woman of color stepping forward in an era when her identity alone makes her a target. Her campaign is brave and filled with a robust American story reflecting the experiences of people in the courtroom. Read on to learn what she would bring to the Court of Common Pleas.

Name: Lauren Leiggi

Pronouns: sher/her/hers 

Office Sought in This Election: Court of Common Pleas Judge, Allegheny County 

How do you describe your identity? I am biracial, AfroLatina, a gender non-confirming lesbian, wife , aunt, egg donor, rescue dog and cat mom, former college athlete, and a nerd. 

When I enter the courtroom, I am often confused for the defendant or the interpreter, because my community is so underrepresented in the legal profession. When I enter the courtroom, I am keenly aware that I have more in common with those sitting at the defense table than I do those currently on the bench. 

Questions and Answers

Tell us about your Allegheny County. What is a hidden gem most people might not know about?
My wife and I have loved exploring Allegheny County. We love the wide variety of food options and community events. I even discovered that I love square dancing since moving here and attending several events. From the welcoming community at the Polish Hill swimming pool to the movie festivals at Row House Cinema, Allegheny County has been an amazing place to create a home. But I’d have to say that a hidden gem to us is The Cafe at the Frick. A cottage nestled in the Frick Estate, it’s our go-to spot for a bite to eat after walking on the Tranquil Trail or a celebration. In fact, we went here to celebrate signing our marriage certificate. The Cafe offers a rotation of seasonal items, their version of high noon tea, gender inclusive bathrooms, and is wheelchair accessible. We’re always pleasantly surprised when we can walk in and easily get a table. 

What professional accomplishment gives you the most pride? 

At the Allegheny County Public Defender’s Office, I started the Immigration Consequences Group, which provides assistance to non-citizen clients facing criminal charges. To date, this group has advised over 800 non-citizen clients. Through this role I have taught numerous legal education events, created online training programs for the Public Defender Association of Pennsylvania, forged relationships with foreign consulates and local organizations to better support our community members, and guest lectured at Duquesne Law’s immigration law class. I am also on the Welcoming Communities Group for the City of Pittsburgh Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs to help recent migrants to the city acclimate to their new community. 

I come from an immigrant family, and I am humbled that my family was able to come to this country and successfully find their pathway to citizenship. In my role as a public defender, I am honored to be able to assist individuals in navigating the complexities of both criminal and immigration law.

Your educational trajectory of entering the workforce right after high school graduation then from community college to Ivy League reads like a post-modern American dream that touches on immigration, identity, community involvement, nontraditional families, and workers rights. This is different than a frequent narrative of college then work while attending law school at night of many candidates. How does it serve the people of Allegheny County to have judges with diverse paths to the bench? 

I believe that diversity in identity, experience, and education provides a fresh perspective for the residents of Allegheny County and the Judicial bench.

When I came out as a lesbian, despite living in a liberal suburb in New Jersey, I lost most of my childhood friends, found myself the target of violence, and in a new world where I did not know how to survive. I was fearful to go to the same college as those threatening me, so I instead took this time to explore my identity outside of academia. I ended up marching in the New York City Pride Parade, attending the first watch parties for RuPaul’s drag rage in a gay bar in New Jersey (that has now gone out of business), and working 80 hours a week in various retail jobs. Eventually I learned who I was and realized I wanted to go back to school. However, since it had been almost 5 years since I was in a classroom, I first went to community college. My experience working for 5 years taught me just how hard it would be for a minority individual to succeed. After gaining my footing at community college, I discovered a pathway to transfer to the University of Pennsylvania – and I told myself “go big or go home”. That motto has followed me ever since.

What has also followed me is a deep appreciation for how knowing the law is a source of power for communities – and the stark awareness that minorities are not on the side of power in the legal system. From having family members who were incarcerated to other loved ones fighting for their right to adopt their children, I witnessed firsthand how pivotal it is to have attorneys, and judges, who are in tune with the communities in the courtroom; the legal system will never uplift our community if our community is not present within it. Therefore, when I entered school at Penn, I started to work at the Toll Public Interest Center, which also eventually became my first job after graduating from Penn. This position helped me gain access to the scholarships and mentorships needed to access the legal field. 

While in law school, I worked for the Honorable Mia Roberts Perez as both a clerk and a teaching assistant. She is a Puerto Rican woman, raised by a single mother in Philadelphia, and elected to the bench after only 8 years of practice – and she became a Federal Judge after only 6 years on the Common Pleas bench. I gained invaluable experience watching a woman who looked like me – whose mother spoke the same language as my mother – preside over cases. She handled the courtroom with grace, respect, and toughness when needed, rendering fair decisions and verdicts. She taught me the weight and importance of the Judicial bench, and was a direct example of how lived experience on the bench benefits the entire community. I have seen the difference it makes to have a Judge with a background similar to mine rendering decisions for the community. My mentor was the 7th Latina elected to the bench in the entire state of Pennsylvania. If elected, I would be the 8th.

I detailed the above, not to just give a background of my life, but to contextualize the perspective I would bring to the bench if elected. I will have the lived experience of someone who has faced discrimination for being openly queer, someone who has survived financial instability, and someone who intimately knows the challenges my community faces in accessing resources in the community. Professionally, I have observed countless courtroom proceedings, have advocated for thousands of clients, and have witnessed what happens to communities of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and non-English speaking communities in Allegheny County. When presiding over proceedings, I will be doing so as a member of the community – not as someone who will need to be educated on what the parties before me have experienced. The community won’t feel like their life is being decided by someone who will never, and who could never, understand their reality. On the contrary – my diverse path to the bench would ideally foster trust in the community that I am in said role to truly support them. I believe the intersectionality that is my life will allow me to truly appreciate every individual and case that comes before me. 

Please tell me about your familiarity with the LGBTQ community in Allegheny County.

I am personally an LGBTQ community member of Allegheny County. My wife and I reside in the Point Breeze North neighborhood of Pittsburgh with our rescue dogs and cats. I personally go to an LGBTQ friendly gym that is welcoming specifically to gender non-confirming individuals. I have enjoyed going to the various pride events in Pittsburgh and other areas of Allegheny County. We have sung karaoke at Blue Moon on Fridays with our co-workers and have attended Crush Hour events. 

Professionally, I was the president of my law school’s LGBTQ+ organization (OUTlaw). I have tabled, through my work at the Public Defender’s Office, at the Too Hot for July Aids Free Pittsburgh Pride event. I have also assisted Hugh Lane’s name change clinics. Through my commitment to making sure the LGBTQ community in Pittsburgh facing criminal charges is supported, I was recently awarded the Bright Young People Award through Allies for Health and Wellbeing.

Based on this, what do you understand to be our current top LGBTQ concerns and priorities for the Court of Commons Pleas? How will you respond to those priorities? 

LGBTQ individuals going to the Court of Common Pleas may go there for many reasons, including name changes, adoptions, family matters, and criminal charges. For LGBTQ individuals, things that may seem “small” to some – like pronouns –  are extremely important. Prioritizing not using someone’s deadname or misgendering them can have a profound impact on someone’s comfort and safety within the legal system. There is a broad lack of understanding of how the LGBTQ community experiences domestic violence, police interactions, and access to resources.

Ensuring that LGBTQ individuals are welcomed in my courtroom will be a priority. To me that means making sure I respect everyone’s pronouns and chosen identity – and that I will not be androgynous presenting individuals, in open court, to discuss such information with me. I will have my own pronouns in my email signature and the email signatures of my staff. To the extent that I am permitted, I will still attend LGBTQ events across the county. By showing up authentically and taking the time to continue educating myself and my colleagues, I believe I can successfully address many of the concerns of the LGBTQ community in my courtroom and ideally within the entire courthouse.

What have you personally and professionally done to protect trans kids? 

In my capacity as a public defender, I have helped train the intake department in my office about best practices when interacting with transgender, non binary, and gender non-conforming clients. This training involved asking for pronouns, respecting gender identity, respecting chosen names, and prioritizing client confidentiality around gender identity. While this changed protocol is not specific to minors, it certainly has impacted many clients within my office, including many young people still within the school system. I would endeavor to implement similar training as a judge. 

Personally, I believe being visibly queer and out can help minimize the otherness that trans kids may experience. Growing up I did not see many individuals who looked like me – a masculine-presenting, biracial lesbian – in positions of power, and not everyone has the opportunity or privilege to safely come out. I truly believe that existing and making space for LGBTQ individuals in positions of influence in the community helps LGBTQ kids envision the kind of future they can have. 

Tell us about an underappreciated or little known asset in the Court of Common Pleas? 

An underappreciated asset in the Court of Common Pleas are the support staff members. These include positions like trial secretaries, paralegals, minute clerks, and tip staff members. These individuals work tirelessly behind the scenes to produce discovery for attorneys, schedule court listings, enter appearances and so much more. During a jury trial they are the folks getting jurors lunches, swearing people in to testify, and managing the energy within the courtroom. 

While Judges and attorneys may be in the spotlight in the courthouse, without support staff, the courthouse simply would not function. 

Is the Court of Common Pleas a County level or State level of government?
Each county in Pennsylvania has its own Court of Common Pleas that handles legal matters arising from that county, but the Court of Common Pleas follows applicable state law in addressing those matters. Cases arising out of the Court of Common Pleas, if appealed, would go to state level courts such as the Superior and Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. 

Please summarize how the Court of Common Pleas is funded.
The Court of Common Pleas is funded through a variety of sources. The budget comes from the Allegheny County Budget, state wide funding, federal funding, taxes, and private agencies. Notably, the court costs and fines assigned to defendants within the Court of Common Pleas also contribute to its funding. 

In about 70% of Pennsylvania, it is legal to discriminate against people based on gender identity and sexual orientation – to fire us, to refuse to rent to us, even to deny to serve us in a business. The few protections we have come from municipal ordinances, court rulings, and executive decisions none of which carry the weight of legislative action by the General Assembly. Name three things your office will do to address the fallout of this legalized bigotry? 

As a judicial candidate, I cannot have official “policies.” But, it is my ethical obligation – and my personal motivation – to strive to make the courthouse more equitable and accessible for my community. As outlined above, I will make sure that individuals will be respected by using the pronouns that reflect their identity, without jeopardizing their safety in open court. I will promote cultural competency through training for myself and my staff so that our community is not traumatized – or retraumatized – simply by being in the courtroom. And while the protections afforded to our community may not carry the same weight of legislative action by the General Assembly, in my courtroom, these protections will be afforded the appropriate weight and seriousness that they require in order to protect our community. 

Every school kid learns that we have three branches of government – executive, legislative, and judicial. We also have three levels of government – local, state, and federal. Democracy is supposed to rest at the intersections of these branches and levels. Those intersections also include people – citizens, residents, voters, workers, neighbors. It can be overwhelming when the balance of power is heavily tilted in one direction. What three specific actions will you take to address this imbalance from your office should you be elected? 

Judges are key to balancing the three branches of government with their power of judicial review. Judges have the power to overturn decisions taken by the legislative or executive branch of the government. As a Judge, I would make sure to first and foremost follow the Pennsylvania and United States Constitution to make sure an individual’s rights are not violated. Additionally, I would follow the rules of criminal and/or civil procedure to make sure a case is ripe for litigation. There are potentially steps such as arbitration and mediation that would need to be followed before a case can be heard by a trial Judge, and I will not bypass these steps simply to have more direct influence in a case. Lastly, I would be diligent in making sure that while I bring my personal experiences into the courtroom and extend patience to individuals, I would also take the utmost care to be impartial and not let my personal biases improperly influence my decisions.

Our nation is in turmoil. Still, Court business continues – crimes adjudicated, custody decisions made, disputes and grievances addressed. Our lives move forward, facing life changing personal legal battles in this larger context. How does a judge balance this cognitive dissonance? 

The judicial rules of ethics are a guiding factor when proceeding forward in a time when the legal system, on a national level, is changing on a daily basis. The legal profession has these ethical rules to help officers of the court, or the court itself, proceed. I have relied on these rules as a public defender: the Pennsylvania Public Defender Act, standards set by the American Bar Association, and our Pennsylvania and United States Constitution. I am ethically obligated to represent my clients zealously despite their beliefs; my personal beliefs should not, and do not, interfere with my representation of my clients – just as my personal beliefs should not, and will not, interfere with presiding over a courtroom if elected. 

In order to best serve the community, a judge must recognize that the decisions made in their courtroom on a daily basis will influence the lives of the community just as directly (if not even more so) than those made on the national level. Maintaining stability and consistency within the courtroom may not seem like the flashiest way to combat the current turmoil, but it will certainly improve the lives of our local community, and that is just as deserving of attention.

On your website, you state “Communities like mine are most often the ones facing judgment in the courtroom.” Please explain. 

I am a biracial, Afrolatina, queer woman. I have experienced poverty. I grew up in communities surrounded by incarceration – my childhood home was a 10 minute drive from a state prison. I still remember sitting in my high school auditorium and being told that for some of us, a high school diploma is all we would ever obtain in life, so we should make sure we celebrate our graduation accordingly. 

When I enter the courtroom, I am often confused for the defendant or the interpreter, because my community is so underrepresented in the legal profession. The communities that are facing judgement in the courtroom are often ones that are poor, people of color, or those who have been othered by society in some capacity. They look like me, or they have the same education experience as my abuela, or they have struggled to get access to desperately needed resources – just like me. When I enter the courtroom, I am keenly aware that I have more in common with those sitting at the defense table than I do those currently on the bench. 

Are the courts fully unionized? Please explain. 

The courts are not fully unionized in Allegheny County. Some of the Allegheny Court employees are unionized, along with individuals who are frequently in the courtroom, such as Public Defenders, District Attorneys, Court Records, and Medical Examiners, who are members of the United Steel Workers (USW) 9002. Public Defender and District Attorney support staff employees are unionized under SEIU. Court employees such as tip staff employees are also unionized.  

There’s a clear need to actively create space for women, especially Black women and other women of color, in elected office AND on campaign and legislative staffs. These are issues of representation and realities. Tell us about your campaign team. 

I am proud to say that my campaign team is a diverse group of individuals! I like to surround myself with like-minded people in terms of priorities, but also those who have a different background, upbringing, race, or gender than myself. 

Most of my team is volunteer based with one part-time, paid staffer. The majority of my team is part of the LGBTQ community, and the rest are strong allies. Half of my team is composed of black and brown individuals, and many have direct experience working in the immigration field. All of the members of my team have shared experience working with indigent and otherwise marginalized communities.

Why did you agree to complete this Q&A?
I agreed to complete this Q&A because I myself have previously used this blog to learn more about candidates running for office. I feel it is often difficult to find information about candidates, especially when most people do not know that Judicial candidates have a different set of ethical rules to adhere to compared to other candidates. I appreciate the opportunity for the residents of Allegheny County to learn about me, and I am hopeful to gain their trust and support via vote during the May 20th primary.  

LGBTQ individuals going to the Court of Common Pleas may go there for many reasons, including name changes, adoptions, family matters, and criminal charges. For LGBTQ individuals, things that may seem “small” to some – like pronouns –  are extremely important. Prioritizing not using someone’s deadname or misgendering them can have a profound impact on someone’s comfort and safety within the legal system. There is a broad lack of understanding of how the LGBTQ community experiences domestic violence, police interactions, and access to resources.

Endorsements, Socials, and Summary

Tell us about your endorsements. 

I am currently publicly endorsed by Bethany Hallam, Allegheny County Council Member – At Large;  Lauren Hergert, DNC Member, PA Democratic State Committee Member, Ross Township Democratic Committee Member, North Hills Progressive Neighbors – Chair; Valerie Reinthaler from Churchill Borough, Andrea Ditillo, Churchill Borough, Council Vice President; Joe Maurizi, Executive State Committee Member for the 45th Senatorial District; Danielle Kwock Phillips, M.S., ESQ., Reuniting Family Bail Fund, board member, PA Women Rise – Organizer, PA Public Defender, Community for change – Organizer. 

Please list your social media accounts and your campaign donation links.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LLforCP
X(formerly twitter): https://twitter.com/llforcp
Instagram/Threads: @LLforCP

Bluesky: @llforcp.bksy.social
Donation: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/llforcp

Website: https://www.llforcp.com/

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I am one of the younger candidates in the field, and I see my age not as a drawback, but as another perspective that is needed on the bench. Despite being extremely close to age as other (white) candidates running, some people have expressed concern about my capacity to serve as a Judge at my current age. But as outlined in several of my other answers, my life has been full of experience that cannot be obtained simply through years of existing. 

My passion for my community and my drive is a direct result of my non-traditional path. My delay in accessing higher level education allowed me to gain a wide variety of lived experience that other judicial candidates do not, and will never, have. When I did reenter the world of academia, I made sure to excel in the classroom and through experiential learning, particularly at Temple Law. Not only did I work for a Judge, I also worked for the City Law Department of Philadelphia. I went across the border to Tijuana, Mexico to assist victims of human trafficking, individuals experiencing domestic violence, and other vulnerable people fill out the legal materials needed to seek asylum in the United States. My tenacity has carried into my work at the Public Defender’s Office, where I have quickly advanced in the severity of my case assignments. I am one of the few attorneys in recent years to defend a grand jury indictment, I have assisted on homicide cases, and have tried major felony cases. I have held the government to the highest burden for my client again and again. And through this advocacy, I have earned the respect of attorneys in both my own office and in the District Attorney’s Office; members of both offices elected me the President of the Local Bargaining Unit for the United Steel Workers, USW local 9002, to handle contract negotiations and grievances. 

All that is to say: my youth will be an asset to the bench. I have the professional experience to understand how the courtroom currently works while simultaneously having the energy, and the drive, needed to identify the need for change – and to actually create that change – within the courtroom. I firmly believe I will bring a fresh, and welcomed, perspective to the bench in Allegheny County. I humbly ask for the support of the LGBTQ+ community in Allegheny County in the primary election on May 20, 2025 and then again in November. 

Thank you, Lauren.

Other Q&A’s

Other Q&A’s in this election cycle series. You can read previous cycle Q&A’s here. If your candidate would like to participate, please contact us pghlesbian at gmail dot com.