Lehigh County Judge Michele Varricchio has announced her retirement after 17 years on the bench and more than three decades serving the justice system.
The Allentown native will step down Jan. 5. The court has requested the appointment of a judge to fill the vacancy, as Varricchio’s term doesn’t expire until 2027 and it’s too late to add her seat to the ballot for the November election.
Varricchio has been on the bench since 2008, assigned to the civil/family division and guardianship matters. She is the administrative judge of the civil division and supervisory judge of arbitrations and mortgage foreclosures.
Before her election to the court, she was appointed in 1992 by then-Gov. Robert Casey as a district judge in Allentown.
Varricchio was elected to the position the following year and served in that role, as well as presiding over the Allentown Parking Court, for 15 years. She is a life member of both the National and the International Association of Women Judges.
In a statement, Varricchio said one of her career highlights was presiding over the swearing-in ceremonies of the 2023-24 legislative session, during which she administered the oath of office to her son, state Sen. Nick Miller.
“My mother’s career has been defined by her dedication to law and order, her compassion for families, and her commitment to the people of Lehigh County,” Miller said. “She has focused on fairness, integrity and the needs of our community. Her more than 30 years of service have left a lasting legacy of trust and leadership.”
Varricchio’s other children are David Miller, an attorney and a partner at Kirkland & Ellis in Charlotte, North Carolina; and Melissa Miller-Lisboa, the owner of Kore Coffee & Flowers, a fresh-cut flower farm in South Whitehall Township.
Varricchio graduated from Allen High School in 1977. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 1985, she received her juris doctorate from Antioch School of Law in Washington.
Upon returning to Allentown, she clerked for Judge James N. Diefenderfer from 1985 to 1987.
Varrichio thanked her past and present colleagues on the bench, the members of the Bar Association of Lehigh County, her legal assistant, judicial clerk, court monitor and court crier.
She said her success depended on the work of everyone in the courthouse, especially the judicial clerks of civil, family and orphans courts; court administration; court monitors; information technology; interpreters; domestic relations; the law library; the sheriff’s office; and maintenance.
Varricchio is a member of the board of directors of the Lehigh Gap Nature Center and a member of Lehigh Valley Audubon Society. She said she looks forward to returning to a more active role in the community after retirement.
Originally Published: October 14, 2025 at 12:00 PM EDT