Widely recognized by the American Bar Association as one of the best attorneys in the country, Robert Cindrich has led an impressive legal career since graduating from Wittenberg. A judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania from 1994-2004, Cindrich currently serves as the chief legal officer and general counsel for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

After receiving his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1968, where he graduated magna cum laude, Cindrich clerked for the Hon. Ruggero J. Aldisert, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He then went on to become a public defender for Allegheny County, Pa., followed by service as an assistant district attorney before entering private practice and eventually establishing his own firm where he served as partner.

In 1978, Cindrich was appointed by President Jimmy Carter as a U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, where he served until 1981. He later was appointed a federal judge for the same district.

Author of Federal Civil Procedure Before Trial: Lawyers Cooperative Federal Practice Guide, published in 1997, Cindrich also spent three years in the U.S. Army Reserves as a specialist IV and four years in the U.S. Air Force Reserves as a staff sergeant.

Recipient of the Jaycee Man of the Year in Law and Government Award and the American Legion Award, Cindrich recently added another award to his collection, this time from his alma mater, which presented him with an Alumni Citation Award during Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, Oct. 28-30, for his exceptional accomplishments in which service to humanity is placed ahead of personal gain.

“I’m grateful for receiving a solid liberal arts education that prepared me for every challenge,” Cindrich said. “I’m also grateful for the people at Wittenberg and the friendships formed nearly 40 years ago.”