Alumnus profile: Chief Justice Ralph J. Cappy

If you happen to see a distinguished looking gentleman riding a BMW motorcycle heading west,… If you happen to see a distinguished looking gentleman riding a BMW motorcycle heading west, you could have had a sighting of a huge celebrity in the law field.

Pennsylvania State Supreme Court chief justice Ralph J. Cappy enjoys taking long motorcycle trips when he has a break from his duties as chief justice and as the chairman of Pitt’s board of trustees.

Cappy graduated from Pitt in 1965 and Pitt’s School of Law in 1968. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Cappy has immense pride for the city and its University.

“From my perspective, Pitt has evolved into one of the most elite educational and research institutions in the country,” Cappy said.

When Cappy attended Pitt in the ’60s, the University was a private institution with stringent rules that may be unfathomable for today’s students. At that time, Pitt was a dry campus with no co-ed residence halls. There was also a rule that women had to return to their residence halls by 9:30 p.m. on weekdays, 11:30 p.m. on Fridays and midnight on Saturdays. A written confirmation was necessary if a woman wanted to stay out later.

“I think this rule was just directed towards women, but when the ladies went home, the men went home,” Cappy said, laughing.

But Cappy kept busy by participating in student council during a turbulent time in American history.

“Trying to bridge the gap between the very anxious student body and the more conservative faculty leadership was a struggle,” Cappy said. “At the time, it was being defined what peaceful demonstrations were and how much could be tolerated.”

He paid homage to the students and faculty for not letting the demonstrations get out of control.

Cappy acquired further leadership experience as the president of the Pitt chapter of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, which no longer has a branch at Pitt.

During his college years, Cappy played intramural football, fast pitch softball and basketball. Though he played baseball at the American Legion level before attending Pitt, a knee injury he suffered while playing prevented him from playing at the collegiate level.

After college, Cappy used his law degree and the knowledge acquired from his seven years at Pitt in private legal practice and in the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheny County. In 1989 he was elected to be a justice on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. He was later promoted to the position of chief justice in 2003.

Pitt law professor John M. Burkoff is an admirer of Cappy’s work. He emphasizes his qualifications and the importance of having justices like him on the state Supreme Court.

“They are the final decision makers of how Pennsylvania law applies unless the law somehow has a federal or constitutional element. They determine how the law will be interpreted in this state,” Burkoff said. “He also represents the Supreme Court to other branches of the government.”

Cappy plans to resign as chief justice at the end of this year. He hopes to spend more time with his family. Cappy lives with his wife, Janet Fry Cappy, in Greentree. They have a son, Erik, who also is a Pitt alumnus.

Though Cappy is stepping down from his position on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, he hopes to stay in the field as an adviser, not a practicing attorney. He also plans on staying involved with Pitt as the chairman of the board of trustees. Cappy has been chairman for five years and a member of the board for an additional 13.

In his years on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Cappy has been a champion for judicial independence. Much of his work has been to ensure judicial independence in a world where neutrality in the courts is threatened by people who want judges to vote according to their political views.

“We need to structure a way to inform the public, for our own well-being, to support the concept of an independent yet accountable judiciary,” Cappy said.