The Delaware Judiciary announced the appointment of Patricia W. Griffin as a Master in Chancery.
The Masters in Chancery adjudicate cases assigned to them by the Court of Chancery, with a particular focus on guardianship issues, property disputes, and trust and estate matters.
“It has been one of the personal highlights of my professional career to work with Pat Griffin, who I have known and counted on as a friend and colleague for almost a quarter century,” said Delaware Supreme Court Chief Justice Leo E. Strine, Jr. From her time as Chief Magistrate to her tenure as the Director of the AOC, Pat has been someone I and everyone else could rely upon for wisdom, common sense, and follow-through. She is a rock and a rock star, and it is wonderful that she can return to the day-to-day work of judging that she loves, and in the county in which she lives. An institution that I love, our Court of Chancery, will be even stronger with Pat on board.”
Griffin comes to the Court of Chancery from her position as State Court Administrator for the Delaware Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), where she has worked since 2005.
During her tenure at the AOC, Griffin focused on enhancing the services provided by the AOC to the Courts and others.
She has played a key role in helping to advance the goals set by the Judiciary to improve the justice system.
Efforts include work with the Delaware Supreme Court Task Force on Criminal Justice and Mental Health which developed ways to improve outcomes for people with mental illnesses engaged with the criminal justice system; and the Fairness for All initiative which examined the perceptions of fairness in the Delaware courts.
She was recognized for her leadership role in the language access area and has implemented many initiatives to service Limited English Proficient (LEP) litigants.
Despite the state’s fiscal challenges, Griffin has worked to find ways to support judicial branch employees through innovative training opportunities to meet Judicial staff needs.
On the national level, Griffin served as president of the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) and vice-chair of the Board of Directors for the National Center for State Courts (2015–2016).
Before joining the AOC, Griffin served as the Chief Magistrate for the Justice of the Peace Court. Griffin received her Juris Doctor from Washington and Lee University and earned her Bachelor’s degree from Duke University.
