Attorney Profiles

Courtney Seda McDonnell is a graduate of The Dickinson School of Law, where she wrote onto the Dickinson Law Review. Ms. McDonnell is also a graduate of Dickinson College, where she was a Latin major and member of Eta Sigma Phi, the national honorary society for Latin majors.

Before attending law school, Ms. McDonnell taught Latin at a prestigious private school and participated overseas in the study of classical language and archeology. While in law school, she clerked for the Honorable Magistrate Judge Charles B. Smith of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and clerked at the law firm of Cozen and O'Connor.

After graduating from law school,  Ms. McDonnell accepted a position with the firm then known as Silverman Coopersmith Hillman & Frimmer within its litigation department. Thereafter, Ms. McDonnell co-founded McDonnell & Associates and, upon its opening, was instrumental in organizing and establishing the firm.

Ms. McDonnell is one of the firm's owners and is the firm's managing partner. In that capacity, she oversees all business, marketing and staffing operations of the firm. She also actively promotes and recruits women and minorities for the firm. Ms. McDonnell supervises several client accounts and oversees a team of associates to ensure that the clients' needs and deadlines are being met.  The firm has been recognized by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. for its excellence in achieving quality indicators and consistency in meeting deadlines.

Ms. McDonnell has appeared in federal and state courts in premises liability, professional negligence, trucking cases, false arrest, and civil rights cases. Ms. McDonnell has tried several cases to verdict. She is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Ms. McDonnell is a member of the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL), the Defense Resource Institute, and the American Bar Association. Ms. McDonnell was selected by NAWL to be the editor of a book on the history of NAWL.  Ms. McDonnell is currently working on the history book with author Donna Halper.

Ms. McDonnell is also an Executive Board Member of the Metropolitan Business Park Condominium Association.  She serves as the President and Secretary of the Board. 

Ms. McDonnell works as a volunteer for the Support Center for Child Advocates in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Ms. McDonnell served on the host commitee for Child Advocates' annual benefit in 2009 and 2010 and assisted in soliciting donations for the organization.