Elizabeth Marx '10

Image

For Elizabeth Marx '10, the practice of law is measured less by courtroom victories than by whether a family can keep the lights on, the heat running, and clean water flowing.

As executive director of the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project, Marx leads statewide efforts to ensure Pennsylvanians experiencing poverty can maintain access to essential utility services. Her work blends litigation, public policy, legislative education and community advocacy, often shaping decisions that affect thousands of households across the Commonwealth.

It is work that recently earned her the Champion for Justice Award from the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, which recognizes attorneys whose ethics, commitment and compassion create meaningful, lasting change for clients and communities.

"I've always intended to do this work," Marx said. "Receiving this recognition feels like confirmation that I'm doing the work I was meant to do."

The Pennsylvania Utility Law Project is a specialized legal aid organization that focuses on energy and water affordability. While the organization assists families facing immediate utility shutoffs through an emergency hotline, much of its work centers on large-scale litigation before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and policy advocacy that can improve access to affordable utility service across the state.

"We represent groups of low-income individuals and community organizations in cases that shape the laws, policies and regulations around utility service," Marx said. "Those decisions affect how people connect to service, what protections exist and what programs are available to help families stay connected."

Her role extends well beyond the courtroom. Marx regularly testifies before the Pennsylvania General Assembly, educates legislators on the impact proposed laws may have on vulnerable communities and trains attorneys, social service providers and community organizations across Pennsylvania on utility law and consumer rights.

"One of the things I love most is helping people understand their rights," she said. "Whether we're working directly with clients or training community partners, it's about making the law accessible."

Ironically, utility law was never part of her original career plan.

Growing up in central Pennsylvania, Marx knew from an early age that she wanted to pursue public interest law. After her family received help from legal services attorneys and pro bono lawyers during her childhood, she saw firsthand how legal advocacy could change lives.

"I always knew that was where I wanted to end up," she said.

Following undergraduate studies in political science, economics and women's studies at Temple University, Marx spent several years living in Colorado before returning to Pennsylvania to attend Widener University Commonwealth Law School.

The law school's location in Harrisburg, its close-knit community and its proximity to state government made it an ideal fit.

"I wanted to be somewhere small, in the state capital, where I could really immerse myself in public interest work," she said.

She wasted little time doing exactly that.

After her first year, Marx secured an internship with the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, followed by an externship representing clients through the YWCA Domestic Violence Legal Clinic. She returned to the coalition after graduation as a staff attorney before eventually discovering a field she had never expected to practice.

While working on issues affecting domestic violence survivors, utility barriers repeatedly surfaced.

"I started seeing how often utilities prevented survivors from moving forward," she said. "That work introduced me to utility law, and I found a niche I never knew existed."

Today, she encourages law students to remain open to similarly unexpected opportunities.

"There are entire areas of law that you may not even realize exist," she said. "Trying different experiences can open doors you didn't know were there."

At Widener Law Commonwealth, Marx immersed herself in academics and service. She served as managing editor of the Law Review, earned multiple academic honors, graduated fifth in her class and received the Dean's Award, the Law Review Distinguished Service Award and the Law Journal Award for Distinguished Legal Scholarship.

She also credits several faculty mentors with helping shape both her legal education and professional career.

Professors John Capowski and John Dernbach became trusted mentors whose guidance has continued well beyond graduation. Amanda Sholtis helped sharpen the legal writing skills that became foundational to her practice, while Professor Randy Lee remained a valued mentor long after law school, collaborating with Marx on scholarship focused on access to justice.

"The relationships I built with faculty lasted long after graduation," Marx said. "Those mentors had a tremendous impact on who I became as a lawyer."

As a first-generation attorney, Marx understands how intimidating the legal profession can feel for students who do not have family members in the field. She encourages them to build meaningful relationships with professors, practitioners and alumni, even if networking feels uncomfortable.

"You don't need a thousand relationships," she said. "You need a few really strong ones."

She also offers one lesson she believes every law student should hear before entering practice.

"Your reputation starts the day you walk into law school," Marx said. "Treat everyone with respect because this profession is much smaller than you think. The respect people have for me today is built on the respect I've shown others throughout my career."

Interview conducted in Summer 2026.