Matthew Debbis

Matthew Debbis graduated cum laude from the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University in 2004, where he focused his studies on criminal and appellate law. After law school, Debbis practiced criminal law privately in Westmoreland County before accepting a position as an associate attorney with the Allegheny County Office of Conflict Counsel. While working at the Office of Conflict Counsel, Debbis represented indigent criminal defendants in all stages of the criminal process, from preliminary hearing to post-conviction relief, in cases ranging from minor misdemeanors to first-degree murder.

In 2007, Debbis left the Office of Conflict Counsel and accepted a position as a law clerk for the Honorable Cynthia Baldwin on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, where his primary assignments were the complex criminal cases pending before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

In 2009, Debbis’ tenure with Justice Baldwin ended. He returned to private practice, this time focusing his practice almost exclusively on criminal appellate cases. During that time, Debbis filed and argued criminal appeals before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the Pennsylvania Superior Court, and the Commonwealth Court. He also litigated petitions in state and federal court for post-conviction collateral relief.

In 2012, Debbis returned to clerking after the Honorable David Wecht was elected to serve on the Pennsylvania Superior Court. Again, Debbis concentrated his work on the criminal cases, both on direct and collateral review, before the Superior Court. In 2015, Justice Wecht was elected to the Supreme Court and hired Debbis to serve as a career law clerk. Debbis accepted the position, and has been assisting Justice Wecht with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s criminal docket ever since.

• J.D., Thoms R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University
• B.S., Indiana University of Pennsylvania