Christina Israel ’07

Going into a courtroom and arguing in front of a judge used to sound absolutely terrifying. Now it’s probably my favorite thing to do.

Most Pennsylvanians never think about the attorneys defending the commonwealth after a highway crash, an inmate lawsuit or a negligence claim against a state agency. Christina Israel ’07 has spent nearly 14 years doing exactly that across 26 counties in central Pennsylvania.

As attorney in charge of the torts litigation section for the central region at the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Israel handles the kind of legal work most people never see, but work that keeps the machinery of state government moving.

Israel, who once thought litigation sounded terrifying, now oversees civil cases ranging from vehicle accidents involving state employees to lawsuits filed against commonwealth agencies.

“Going into a courtroom and arguing in front of a judge used to sound absolutely terrifying,” she said. “Now, arguing a summary judgment motion is probably my favorite thing to do.”

Israel laughs when she talks about her early assumptions about the legal profession.

“People would ask me what type of law I wanted to do, and I always said, ‘I have no idea, other than I do not want to do family law or personal injury,’” she said. “And then my entire career has been family law and personal injury.”

Law school wasn’t part of some long-term master plan for Israel.

Raised in Hershey, Israel attended HACC before transferring to Penn State University, where she studied political science and history. As graduation approached, she found herself uncertain about what came next.

“I was thinking, ‘What the hell am I going to do?’” she recalled. “So I decided I was going to take the (Law School Admission Test) and see how I did. If it didn’t work out, I was going to stay another year and become a high school history teacher.”

Instead, she landed at Widener University Commonwealth Law School and quickly discovered the profession fit the way she thought.

“My first year of law school, which very few people ever say, I loved it,” she said.

After graduating in 2007, Israel clerked in Adams County Court of Common Pleas, where she worked closely on family law matters and built relationships with attorneys across the region. Those connections eventually led her into private practice in Camp Hill before she interviewed for a tort litigation position with the state in 2012.

At first, she wasn’t convinced it was the right move.

“I remember thinking, ‘There’s no way I want to do that,’” she said. “But I clicked really well with the people I interviewed with. I’ve been doing it ever since, and I absolutely love it.”

Today, Israel oversees litigation across 26 counties in central Pennsylvania, representing the commonwealth in civil cases involving state agencies and employees. Her office handles a broad range of claims, from vehicle accidents involving PennDOT employees to lawsuits filed by inmates and negligence claims against state entities.

In many ways, she said, the work functions similarly to an insurance defense practice.

“We are basically the insurance company for the state,” she explained. “Our job is to make sure the cases are handled properly and that we’re protecting the commonwealth and taxpayer money.”

The work is fast-moving and unpredictable. Some days are spent preparing motions and reviewing records. Others involve depositions, court appearances, or long drives to counties scattered across Pennsylvania.

“Every county is its own little fiefdom,” Israel said with a laugh. “They all have their own culture and their own way of doing things.”

That flexibility became even more apparent during the pandemic, when court systems across the state operated under entirely different rules and timelines. While many counties shifted to remote proceedings, others quickly returned to in-person hearings.

Israel said those experiences reinforced one of the biggest lessons she now shares with law students and interns: stay open to opportunities, even the ones that initially seem intimidating.

She regularly mentors interns and externs through the Attorney General’s Office and encourages students not to lock themselves into one career path too early.

“Something you think you don’t want to do, maybe you’ll love it,” she said. “Go try different things. If you hate it, at least you know. But you might surprise yourself.”

Israel also emphasized the importance of sharpening practical writing skills, something she believes becomes increasingly important as young attorneys enter the profession.

“We get some really good writing from interns, but it’s just not developed enough yet,” she said. “That comes with practice. Go to as many continuing legal education courses and writing workshops as you can get your hands on.”
She’s also watching how technology and artificial intelligence are beginning to reshape the legal field, particularly in litigation. Some Pennsylvania courts now require attorneys to disclose whether AI tools were used in preparing filings.

“There’s a lot of controversy about it ethically,” she said. “I don’t use it personally, but courts are recognizing that AI is now part of the profession.”

Looking back, Israel said she never could have predicted the career she built from a law degree she almost didn’t pursue.

“Keep an open mind,” she said. “You really never know what’s going to end up fitting you best.”

Interview conducted in Spring 2026.