Cawley Added to Universal Service Board

James H. Cawley, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, has been appointed to the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, replacing Commissioner Lisa Edgar of the Florida Public Service Commission.

Cawley was appointed PA PUC chairman by Governor Edward G. Rendell (D) on August 19, 2008. He has served on the commission since June 9, 2005 and originally appointed by Gov Rendell. His current term expires March 31, 2010.

Chairman Cawley is a 1967 graduate of St. Bonaventure University and a 1970 graduate of Notre Dame Law School. He began his legal career in 1970 as one of the seven original law clerks serving the judges of the newly-created Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. He was later appointed Majority Counsel to the Pennsylvania Senate Consumer Affairs Committee where he drafted several major amendments to Pennsylvania's public utility laws and assisted with codification of those laws. In 1977, he was appointed Chief Counsel to the Senate Majority Floor Leader. Thereafter, he was twice nominated and confirmed as a member of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, serving from November 1979 until September 1985. Then he returned to the private practice of law with a concentration on administrative law and appellate practice. His clients included a wide array of public utilities and competitive telephone, electric and natural gas providers. He currently serves as Adjunct Professor of Administrative Law at Widener University School of Law and is a frequent faculty member of Pennsylvania Bar Institute courses on appellate advocacy, public utility law and ethics.