Magistrate Judge Lisa Pupo Lenihan graduated cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh in 1980 and magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1983,where she was a member of the Law Review.

She worked as an associate with the law firm of Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote from 1983 until 1986. In 1987 she was one of five founding partners of the law firm Burns, White & Hickton and became managing partner of the firm in 1997. In 2000 she joined the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center as Corporate Secretary and Assistant Counsel. She was appointed to the bench on April 2, 2004.

Judge Lenihan serves on the Court’s Case Management and ADR Committee, she was appointed by the Chief Justice to the Federal Judicial Center’s Magistrate Judge Education Committee, which she chaired from 2013 to 2017. She was appointed by the Chief Justice to the Federal Judicial Center’s Benchbook Advisory Committee in 2019, was a member of the Forms Working Group of the Judicial Conference, 2010 to 2014, Third Circuit representative to the Federal Magistrate Judges Committee 2007-2010 and former member of FMJA Nominating Committee. She also serves on the Third Circuit Judicial Council Committee on Magistrate Judges.

From 1998 to 2004 she served on the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners, appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court as board chairperson from 2002 to 2004. Magistrate Judge Lenihan is a member of the Board of Visitors for the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and is past president, and current member, of the Law Alumni Association’s Board of Governors. She served as Co chair of the PBA Commission on Women in the Profession in 1998 and was a member of the Pennsylvania Commission on Judicial Independence from 2005-2009.

She currently serves on the board of the UPMC Health Plan, UPMC Altoona/Bedford, UPMC Passavant/St. Margaret’s. Formerly served on the board of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (2005 to 2014) and the Parental Stress Center (2002-2012) and has served on various other non profit boards in the Pittsburgh area. She chairs the board of Pittsburgh National Youth Boxing dba/Team 412 and is USA Boxing certified coach. She co-chaired the ACBA Gender Equality Task Force and served on the Executive Council of the Women in the Law Division of the ACBA. She is a past member of the ACBA Judiciary Committee, along with various other ACBA sections.

Magistrate Judge Lenihan was the recipient of the Federal Magistrate Judges Association Founders Award in 2022, the University of Pittsburgh School of Law 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award and was an ATHENA Finalist in 2015. She received the Mediation Council of Western Pennsylvania 2013 Conflict Resolution Day Award; ACBA Women in the Law Division Carol Los Mannsman Helping Hands Award in 2007; Susan B. Anthony Award given by the Women’s Bar Association of Western Pennsylvania in 2004; the University of Pittsburgh School of Law Womens Association Woman of the Year award in1999 and the Carlow College Woman of Spirit award in 1998.

Most importantly, she is the proud mother of Patrick, Alexandra and Christopher Lenihan.