Hon. Louis J. Presenza (ret.) is an emeritus member and past chair of the All Rise Board of Directors. He was appointed to the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, municipal court bench in 1982. In 1996, he was appointed the first supervising judge of the court’s criminal division, during which time he played a key role in establishing the first drug treatment court in the state. In 1999 and 2004, his colleagues elected him president judge. Prior to the bench, he served as assistant attorney general for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and general counsel for the Philadelphia Housing Authority.

Judge Presenza is a founding member and past president of the Pennsylvania Association of Treatment Court Professionals (PATCP), which in 2009 established the Louis J. Presenza Distinguished Service Award in recognition of extraordinary leadership and support to treatment courts. He is a past chair and current vice chair of the American Bar Association’s interest group on substance use disorders and mental health. Judge Presenza is the recipient of the Treatment Court Hall of Fame Award from All Rise and the Golden Crowbar Award from the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges. He received his juris doctor degree from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.