Stephanie L. Franklin-Suber ‘75

Stephanie L. Franklin-Suber has spent five decades breaking barriers and empowering others in law and government. A trailblazing legal professional and dedicated public servant, she made history as the first African American female partner at Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP and the youngest woman in Mayor Rendell's cabinet as City Solicitor of Philadelphia, the chief legal officer representing the Mayor, City Council, City
Controller, and over 30 departments and commissions.

During her career, she has been honored nationally for her leadership, commitment to equity, and contributions, including by the NAACP as one of the “100 Influential Women in Philadelphia” in 2009 and by The Legal Intelligencer as “Diverse Attorney of the Year” in 2011. Franklin-Suber was selected for the “Super Lawyers” list in 2006, 2007, and 2009, and she has served in leadership roles with the American Bar Association Business Law Section, the National Bar Association, the Philadelphia Bar Foundation, and the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau. A prolific speaker, she has taught for the ABA, the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, and numerous national forums.

Her bond with Springside and now SCH has persisted throughout her long and impressive career. A former member of the National Alumnae Council and the SCH Black Alumni Association, she has always given back to the community that shaped her values and voice. She served as Springside’s Commencement Speaker in 1997, and her words have long inspired generations of students and leaders.

Kay Tucker Franklin ’69, Franklin-Suber’s sister-in-law, urged, “Think of Stephanie as a bridge from Springside’s motto–‘Laurus crescit in arduis/Honor comes from hard work’–and as a mirror reflecting the SCH touchstone, 'Kindle your own fire.’ She entered Springside in the civil rights era as the school expanded its horizons in so many ways that laid the foundation for today’s SCH.”