Appointed by the former Governor Tom Ridge and unanimously confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Senate in December, 1998 and elected to a ten-year term, the Honorable Sheila Woods-Skipper currently sits on the Court of Common Pleas, First Judicial District of Pennsylvania where she brings honesty, commitment and fairness to the Bench. She is currently assigned to the Homicide Division and Coordinating Judge for the Waiver Program. She also serves on the Judicial Education Committee, where she chairs the FYI Committee. She was appointed by Governor Rendell to the State Council for Interstate Compact for Adult Offenders.  Judge Sheila Woods-Skipper is a native Philadelphian who attended the City's public schools, a Philadelphia High School for Girls graduate. She received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science and Public Policy from the University of Pennsylvania and was awarded a Jurist Doctor from Temple University School of Law. Judge Woods-Skipper served as a Judicial Law Clerk to the late Honorable Charles Wright, Court of Common Pleas and served as an Assistant District Attorney for Philadelphia County in both the Major Trials and Homicide Units.
      She is married to Leigh M. Skipper, Esquire and the proud mother of three sons.  Judge Woods-Skipper's supports her community and church by active membership on the Oak Lane Community Action Association, Oak Park Improvement Association Board of Directors, the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Rho Theta Omega Chapter and the Ivy Legacy Foundation Board of Directors.
      Judge Woods-Skipper participates in numerous professional activities including the National Association of Women Judges, National Bar Association Judicial Council, Philadelphia Bar Association, National Bar Association Women's Lawyer Division, University of Pennsylvania American Inn of Court, National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Board of Directors. She has participated as a panelist for professional organizations such as the Philadelphia Bar Association, Meet the Judges Forums, and the like. She has organized and participated in forums about the criminal justice process, mentoring programs and facilitated seminars for the Philadelphia Bar Institute on Capital Litigation.