Bucks Writs - Spring 2021 - 17

Judge Yeager had a sense at an early
age that, " in the United States it
wasn't supposed to matter what your
background was. It wasn't supposed
to matter where you came from, what
your religion was, what your racial
or gender identity was. That was the
American promise of justice for all.
No one is supposed to feel like an
outsider in the United States. "

his former partners and colleagues at Curtin & Heefner, he
is happy in his new position of service.
As he told me, there's something about putting on the robe,
that when you do so, you are getting into a role. Often
times it is the role of conciliator and mediator. He spends a
lot of effort trying to get parties (and attorneys) to resolve
cases. It can be frustrating when people have a hard time
shifting from fighting to problem solving. Judge Yeager said,
" While clients often have trouble understanding that you
can wage war and talk peace at the same time, I expect
lawyers to be able to counsel their clients through that
dynamic; lawyers and parties need to be able to put aside
advocacy at times and engage in problem-solving. It won't
work in every case, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. "
While some attorneys have a hard time knowing when to
stop talking and when to " switch gears " from argument
mode to cooperation mode, Judge Yeager praises members

grandson of Eastern European immigrants who came to
this country to escape religious persecution, Judge Yeager
had a sense at an early age that, " in the United States it
wasn't supposed to matter what your background was. It
wasn't supposed to matter where you came from, what
your religion was, what your racial or gender identity was.
That was the American promise of justice for all. No one is
supposed to feel like an outsider in the United States. " He
knew, though, that " the American promise of justice for all
and the American reality don't always match up. "

The American promise matters,
and it is what Judge Yeager takes
with him to Court every day - that
promise of due process, the right of
every person to be heard, and the
promise of justice for all.

But the American promise matters, and it is what Judge
Yeager takes with him to Court every day - that promise
of due process, the right of every person to be heard, and
the promise of justice for all.

of the local bar for understanding that there are many
different paths to obtaining a fair result for their clients.

In his current judicial assignments Judge Yeager is primarily
presiding over a mix of Family court cases - from custody,
equitable distribution, child and spousal support, to
protection from abuse (PFA) orders. He is also resolving a
wide range of civil disputes, land use matters on appeal
from local governments, summary appeals from magisterial
district courts, and bench warrants.

I asked if there were days, especially when he first arrived
at the Justice Center, when he thought a case or two had
gone a completely different way than he had originally
expected. And, of course, he said yes - a few, in fact.
There have been what he described as " the classic Perry
Mason Moments, " when a witness makes a revelation that
he hadn't seen coming. The take away was a reminder that
until you have heard it all, you haven't heard it all.

As a judge he has to be in the moment, he said, focused on
the case in front of him, and not multitasking, as he always
was in private practice. Now, his email inbox is under control,
and he feels caught up at the end of a day. At home, he
enjoys more down time, is able to catch his breath, and
maintain perspective on the matters he must decide.

If he needs someone with whom to discuss issues, Judge
Yeager is comfortable reaching out to any one of his
colleagues on the Bucks bench. He looks to President
Judge Wallace " Skip " Bateman and Judge James
McMaster, the Administrative Judge for Family Court, as
his immediate supervisors, and he has found all of the
judges to be welcoming, friendly, and helpful. They are a
supportive and collegial group, it appears.

Overall, his elevation to the bench meant a change in his
style of working. To do the job well, he says, it's important
to slow down. It is far from the often harried, fast pace
of his life prior to taking the bench. And, while he does
sometimes miss the adrenaline rush of advocacy, the warm
client relationships he had built, and the camaraderie with

So, in reality, he didn't lose his law partners, he just
gained a new firm. 
17

SPRING 2021
Bucks Writs - Spring 2021

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