Penn State Scranton Appoints Durell Johnson as Interim Chancellor

Durell Johnson, Ph.D., chief academic officer at Penn State Scranton, has been named interim regional chancellor for Penn State’s Hazleton, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre campuses.

Johnson has been with the University for over 25 years, starting at Penn State Scranton in 1999 as an assistant professor of human development and family studies. After earning tenure, he was promoted in 2005 to assistant director of academic affairs, served as discipline coordinator for the Division of Health and Human Development in the University College from 2008-09, and was named associate director of academic affairs in 2009 before being promoted to chief academic officer in 2016.

“I’m honored to have been selected for the role of interim chancellor,” Johnson said. “I look forward to supporting our students, faculty and staff at all three campuses and maintaining the academic excellence and positive community impact for which Penn State is known.”

A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Johnson holds a baccalaureate degree in psychology from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, a master’s degree in experimental child psychology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and a doctoral degree in developmental psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

He resides in Clarks Summit.

Grey Towers Hosting Laurel Hill Burial Ground Walk

Get to know Milford’s historic past as Grey Towers Heritage Association welcomes the public to join its annual walking tour of the Laurel Hill Burial Ground at Grey Towers on Saturday, October 4 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Visitors will have the unique opportunity to walk the historic burial ground and stop at 12 designated gravesites at which actors portraying the interred will provide first-person narrative life stories of residents buried from the 1830s to the 1920s. Visitors will also be greeted by Mourning Mary and her friends as they talk about Victorian funeral customs and superstitions. Guests will also enjoy light refreshments, including typical funeral biscuits wrapped in parchment paper.

“It’s an intriguing and fun way to bring history to life,” explains Don Allen, Grey Towers Heritage Association Board member and director of the event. “Our guests learn about early settlers of Milford and the surrounding area in a very personal and dynamic way.”

Actors from American Readers Theater, caped and dressed in black, assume the roles of the interred and tell Milford’s founding families’ stories of everyday life in the 1700s and 1800s: their joys, losses and tragedies.

Also revealed are the funereal sources of famous expressions such as “Saved by the bell.”

“It’s a great way to usher in Halloween and All Souls Day, enjoy the fall foliage and gardens on the 102 acres of the Grey Towers National Historical Site. Guests may also visit the famed Gifford Pinchot ancestral home for a nominal fee,” adds Will Voelkel of GTHA.

Admission to the event is $20 for members, $25 for non-members, and $5 for students. Tickets may be purchased in advance online or at the door. This event is not advised for children under 13. The walk is on uneven ground, so please wear comfortable shoes.

For more information and tickets, visit greytowers.org/events

Munley Law Welcomes Associate Attorney Noah Musto

Premier Pennsylvania personal injury law firm Munley Law is pleased to announce that Noah Musto has joined the firm as an Associate Attorney.

Musto joins Munley Law directly from completing a judicial clerkship with the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, where he spent the past year gaining firsthand experience in judicial decision-making and courtroom proceedings. This position gave him unique insights into legal analysis and civil procedure that will benefit Munley Law’s clients.

“We are excited to welcome Noah to our team,” said Managing Partner Caroline Munley. “His judicial clerkship experience provides invaluable insight into the court system, and his demonstrated commitment to public service throughout his career aligns perfectly with our firm’s mission of fighting for justice on behalf of injured victims. Noah’s addition strengthens our ability to provide exceptional representation to our clients.”

Prior to his clerkship, Musto gained legal experience through internships with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s procurement law division, the Commercial Law Development Program, and the National Center on Protection Orders and Full Faith & Credit. These positions allowed him to develop expertise in various areas of law while maintaining a focus on public interest work.

A native of Pennsylvania, Musto has deep roots in the Commonwealth and a strong connection to the Scranton area. He previously served as a Constituent Services Intern for U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr.’s Greater Scranton office, where he assisted constituents with federal matters and gained valuable experience in public service. His commitment to Pennsylvania communities is also evident through his work as a Campaign Fellow with the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, where he helped organize grassroots efforts in Centre and Clinton counties.

Musto earned his Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School, where he served on the Public Contract Law Journal and as Secretary of the American Constitution Society chapter. He was active in the Equal Justice Foundation and participated in the first-year moot court competition. He graduated cum laude from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and served as Secretary of the Beta Pi chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honor society.

Musto is admitted to practice law in Maryland (2024) and is currently pending admission to the Pennsylvania Bar.

Munley Law Welcomes Associate Attorney Jack Cartwright

Munley Law, a premier personal injury law firm in Pennsylvania, is pleased to announce that Jack Cartwright has joined the firm as an Associate attorney.

At Munley Law, Cartwright will focus on personal injury litigation, bringing his extensive legal experience to serve injured victims and their families throughout Pennsylvania.

Cartwright has been recognized for his exceptional legal work, earning selection as Best Lawyers Ones to Watch in both 2024 and 2025, and being named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2024. These prestigious honors reflect his dedication to excellence in litigation and client advocacy

“We are thrilled to welcome Jack to our team,” said Managing Partner Caroline Munley. “His commitment to justice aligns with the values that have defined Munley Law since its founding. Having Jack join our practice represents the continuation of our firm’s legacy and its future.”

Cartwright recently served as an Associate Attorney at Krevolin & Horst in Atlanta, focusing on commercial litigation, whistleblower (qui tam) litigation, criminal defense, and voting rights matters. Before that, he spent nearly four years as an Associate Attorney at Winston & Strawn LLP in New York, handling complex litigation matters for the international law firm.

He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where he served as Associate Editor of the Journal of Law and Social Change and Articles Editor of the Journal of Law and Public Affairs. He was also active in public interest work through the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, Penn Law Health Law Policy Project, and Penn Law Pardon Project.

Cartwright graduated magna cum laude from Hamilton College with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Government. He also studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

His commitment to public service is evident throughout his career. Cartwright served as a Law Clerk to former U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and completed a judicial internship with the Pennsylvania Superior Court. He also dedicated time as a Winston & Strawn Pro Bono Fellow at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, working as a Law Clerk with the Immigration Law Project.

Cartwright represents the third generation of the Munley family to practice law at the firm, following in the footsteps of Robert W. Munley, the firm’s founder, and his mother, Senior Partner Marion Munley.

“I am honored to join Munley Law and continue my family’s tradition of advocating for those who have been injured through no fault of their own,” said Cartwright. “Growing up, I witnessed firsthand the impact that legal representation can have on families during their most challenging times. I look forward to working alongside our exceptional team of attorneys and staff to ensure our clients receive the justice and compensation they deserve.”

Cartwright is admitted to practice law in Georgia (2023), New York (2021), and the District of Columbia (2020). He is currently pursuing admission to the Pennsylvania Bar.

Munley Law’s Marion Munley Sworn in as AAJ VP

Munley Law is pleased to announce that Senior Partner Marion Munley was recently sworn in as the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Vice President.

Marion has held several executive positions in the AAJ over the years, having previously served as Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian. She was the first woman to chair the AAJ Trucking Litigation Group and has served on the Board of Governors and its Executive Committee.

Marion is widely recognized as one of the most prominent and respected personal injury lawyers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She has won many multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts for injury clients throughout the United States, including one of Pennsylvania’s largest truck accident settlements. She is triple board-certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Civil Trial Law, Civil Practice Advocacy, and Truck Accident Law. She is the second woman in Pennsylvania to become a Civil Trial Advocate.

Since 2023, Marion has consistently been selected as one of the Top 10 Super Lawyers© in Pennsylvania, one of only two female lawyers to receive such a distinction. In addition, she has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America© since 2013 and was named the 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers© for Product Liability in Northeastern Pennsylvania. She has been named a Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyer every year since 2019.

The American Association of Justice is a 20,000-member organization of plaintiff attorneys dedicated to protecting the rights of trial by jury. The mission of the AAJ is to promote justice and fairness for injured victims, safeguard victims’ rights, and strengthen the civil justice system through education and disclosure of information critical to public safety and health.

Munley Law Celebrates Marion Munley’s Third Super Lawyers Recognition

Munley Law is pleased to announce that truck accident lawyer Marion Munley has been included in the Top 10 Super Lawyers in Pennsylvania, the Top 100 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, and the Top 50 Women Pennsylvania Super Lawyers lists in the 2025 edition of Pennsylvania Super Lawyers.

This is the third year in a row that Marion has been featured in the Top 10 Super Lawyers in Pennsylvania. Marion has been consistently selected to the list of Pennsylvania Super Lawyers for the past 22 years and has been named to the Top 100 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list since 2022.

She has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America since 2013 and was named the 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” for Product Liability Litigation in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Marion was recently named a 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyer.

Marion is widely recognized as one of the most prominent and respected personal injury lawyers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She has won many multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts for injury clients throughout the United States, including one of the largest truck accident settlements in history. She is triple board certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Civil Trial Law, Civil Practice Advocacy, and Truck Accident Law.

A leader in the legal community, Marion is an active member of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) and is currently the AAJ Secretary. She was the first woman to become Chair of the AAJ Trucking Litigation Group in 2018 and is a past chair of the AAJ Women Trial Lawyers Caucus. She is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the International Society of Barristers, the Summit Council, and formerly served as President of the Melvin M. Belli Society.

Only 5% of attorneys in the United States are selected to Super Lawyers. To be included in Super Lawyers, an attorney must be nominated by his/her peers, or identified by the Super Lawyers research department; lawyers cannot nominate themselves nor can they pay to be recognized on the list. Nominated attorneys are subjected to a thorough evaluation and selection process.