BIOGRAPHY

Born on March 24, 1969 and raised in Jeffersonville, Pennsylvania, Chad Harp attended public schools in the Norristown Area School District, from which he was graduated in 1987.

He continued his education at the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences of The George Washington University, where he concentrated his scholarship in the areas of History and Philosophy - with a particular emphasis in the area of Early American History and Culture.  As an undergraduate, he received the State Scholarship for the District of Columbia given by the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Certificate of Merit for Superior Achievement in the Study of American History given by The Society of Mayflower Descendants in the District of Columbia. While in college, he was a member of The Sigma Nu International Fraternity, Phi Eta Sigma, and the Golden Key National Honor Society.  He was one of three Senior History majors selected by the faculty to participate in the prestigious Senior Honors Thesis program.  In March of 1991, he prepared the final draft of his thesis entitled “Duty Over Desire: The Life of John Neville.”  He received his Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude with a Major in History and a Minor in Philosophy in September of 1991.

From September of 1987 until May of 1988, he served as a Public Affairs Intern on the Staff of the Secretary of Defense.

From September of 1988 until August of 1993, while he completed his undergraduate education and afterwards, Chad served on the staff of The George Washington University Medical Center.  His final appointment was as Assistant to the Dean, a capacity he held from May of 1990 until August of 1993.

Chad’s scholarly and popular articles have appeared in national newspapers and periodicals, including The Arizona Republic, The Asbury Park Press, The Cumberland County Sentinel, Cape Cod Life, The Minneapolis Star Tribune, The Montgomery Advertiser, Pennsylvania Heritage, Probate & Property, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Tampa Tribune and The Tampa Times, The Washington Post, and The Washington Times. He is the author of Young Warriors, Return to the Lake, Estate Planning for Individuals with Disabilities, First Who You Are, Second What You Know: The Ten Habits of the Effective Teacher, Happiness, and The Power of Fear.

In June of 1996 he was graduated with a Juris Doctor degree from The Dickinson School of Law of The Pennsylvania State University.  As a law student, he competed in the First Year ATLA Team Trial Competition; was a member of The Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity; served as a Student Attorney in the Prison Legal Assistance Program; was a Member, Senior Editor, and Business Manager of The Dickinson Journal of International Law; served as the National Student Director of the ABA Law Student Division’s Client Counseling Competition Subcommittee; and was listed in Who's Who: American Law Students.

From December of 1993 through May of 1996, he served as a Law Clerk in the law firm Breidenbach, Breidenbach & Troncellitti, which is located in Norristown, Pennsylvania.  From February of 1999 through April of 2000, he served as a lawyer in the law firm Fox, Differ, Callahan, Sheridan & McDevitt, which is located in Norristown, Pennsylvania.  From April of 2000 through September of 2000, he was an Associate in the Tax and Estates Department in the law firm Fox, Rothschild, O’Brien & Frankel, LLP.  When not associated with a law firm, he has maintained a private law practice.

Until October of 2003, Chad served as a member of the faculty of the University of Phoenix and the Reading School District and facilitated courses involving philosophy, business, computers, investing, ethics, and the law. From September of 1996 through October of 2002, he served as a member of the faculty of the Montgomery County Community College.

Regarding his legal publications, he is the author of “Estate Planning for the Disabled Beneficiary,” an article that appeared in the March/April 1997 issue of Probate & Property.  This article was subsequently reprinted in the textbook authored by Gerry W. Beyer entitled Teaching Materials on Estate Planning, which is a volume in the American Casebook Series.  His professional opinion has appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Norristown Times Herald.

Chad has had additional legal training in the area of dispute resolution.  In December of 1998 he completed Mediation Training provided by the Center for Dispute Settlement.

He is former member of the Rotary Club of Norristown, Pennsylvania; the Historical Advisory Commission of East Norriton Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania; the Board of Directors of the Gilda’s Club of Bucks/Mont Counties; and the Board of Trustees of the Housing Corporation of the Delta Pi Chapter of the Sigma Nu Fraternity.  He is also the former Chairperson of the Technology Committee and a member of the Board of Directors of Pennsylvania’s Children’s Aid Society.

He is listed in Great Minds of the 21st Century, Premier Edition; Who’s Who in the World; Who’s Who in America; Who’s Who in American Law; Who’s Who in Finance and Industry; Outstanding People of the 20th Century (Second Edition); Strathmore’s Who’s Who; and The National Registry of Who’s Who.  He is a former member of the American Bar Association, the Montgomery Bar Association, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Inc., and the Pennsylvania Bar Association.