James B. Lieber

James B. Lieber, Esq. is a distinguished attorney based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and co-founder of the law firm Lieber Hammer Huber & Paul P.C., established in 1981. Throughout his career, Mr. Lieber has built a reputation for his expertise in employment discrimination, commercial litigation, civil rights, and constitutional law. Under his leadership, the firm has represented numerous individuals and businesses, advocating for justice across a range of legal areas.

Mr. Lieber’s academic journey began at Princeton University, where he graduated in 1971. While at Princeton, he led the Student Volunteer Tutoring Programs at Trenton State Prison, and his outstanding academic performance earned him several prizes for his writing and research. He was named a Woodrow Wilson Scholar and was a Rhodes Scholarship Finalist. His most influential mentors at Princeton included historians Martin Duberman and Arno Mayer, and the writer Anthony Burgess. Following Princeton, Mr. Lieber became an organizer for the United Farm Workers Union (UFW AFL-CIO) in California, further demonstrating his early commitment to social justice.

 In 1975, Mr. Lieber graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, where his studies were shaped by pioneering professors such as David Rudovsky, Martha Field, and criminologist Marvin Wolfgang. His academic excellence earned him recognition from the Law Students Civil Rights and Research Council, and he was selected to teach a course to his peers. Following law school, Mr. Lieber served as a Staff Attorney at Community Legal Services (CLS) of Philadelphia and a Trial Attorney at the Bucks County Public Defender’s Office. He also led the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and served as an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh Law School, teaching constitutional law.

 Mr. Lieber’s legal career is marked by his success in representing clients in a broad spectrum of cases in state and federal courts, covering areas such as antitrust, fraud, discrimination, freedom of speech, and due process. Notably, he has appeared before the United States Supreme Court twice. In 1990, he successfully argued Fiore v. White, a case referenced by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her dissent in Bush v. Gore. Mr. Lieber has also conducted class action litigation involving age, race, sexual orientation, and securities-related issues. In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Lieber has pursued an active writing career. He has authored numerous articles on law and society for publications like The Washington Post, The New York Times Magazine, and The Nation. He has also written four books, including Friendly Takeover: How an Employee Buyout Saved a Steel Town, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in the General Nonfiction category.

 Mr. Lieber’s professional accolades include membership in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Criminal Procedural Rules Committee, the Allegheny County Bar Association Judicial Nominating Committee, and the Special Panel of the Federal District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania on the allocation of statutory attorney’s fees. In 2003, he was elected to the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County, the region’s leading organization for civil litigators. He has also been recognized as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in employment law and named a Legal Network Top Lawyer in Pennsylvania. In 2018, he received a Marquis Who’s Who Lifetime Achievement Award for law and writing. In his spare time, Mr. Lieber enjoys spending time with his family, swimming, reading, hiking, and writing.