Our Attorneys
The Lawyers of Rabenold Koestel Scheidt are members of both the Berks County Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Together with a responsive, dedicated support staff, our lawyers bring decades of experience to the clients they serve.
Jill M. Scheidt, Partner, Berks County Lawyer
Jill M. Scheidt, Esquire received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from the Pennsylvania State University in 1989. While a student at Penn State, Jill played the clarinet in the marching and concert Blue Bands. She received her Juris Doctorate from the Villanova University School of Law in 1992.
Jill has been a member of the Pennsylvania Bar since 1992 and a member of the United States District Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts since 1993. Since 1992, Jill has practiced in Berks County with concentrations in criminal defense, insurance defense litigation and plaintiff’s personal injury. Jill has litigated a variety of cases to verdict, including premises liability, medical malpractice, motor vehicle negligence, assault, DUI, sexual assault and three murder cases, including one capital case. She earned the appropriate credentials to become certified to try capital cases. She enjoys being one of the busiest of Berks County’s DUI lawyers. She has also taught courses in the paralegal program at the Pennsylvania State University in legal research, legal writing, civil procedure, criminal law and torts. She taught Introduction to Business as an adjunct instructor at Reading Area Community College.
Attorney Scheidt proudly served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Reading Musical Foundation, the county’s premier music funding non-profit agency, from 2006 – 2009. Prior to that, she held positions of Secretary, Vice Chair and Chair of the Outreach Committee. Jill is also solicitor for the Ringgold Band and played with the band for a few years in the 1990’s.
Jill became involved in the Berks County Bar Association after admission by joining the Young Lawyers Section and has remained active ever since. She is currently President-Elect of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL) Committee. She is a former editor of the Berks County Law Journal, Chair of the Outreach Committee, Chair of the Criminal Law Committee, Chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee and Chair of the Client Dispute Resolution Committee.
Recognizing that the Hispanic Community is especially vulnerable to fraud perpetrated by notaries public, Jill represented the Berks County Bar Association and the Daniel Torres Hispanic Center of Reading in a civil suit in 2005. The suit was against a notary who represented litigants in the Hispanic community. Jill was recognized in 2006 by then PBA President Kenneth J. Horoho, Jr. with the PBA President’s Everyday Leader Award for her efforts.
Jill is a frequent speaker on local television and radio shows discussing various legal topics. She is also a presenter and moderator of CLE courses for other lawyers on a variety of topics including mental health issues, UPL, effective use of paralegals and criminal law topics including expungement and PCRA. Jill was active in the PBA YLD as a young lawyer and is currently a member of the PBA UPL Committee, having previously been appointed as Vice Chair of that committee. She was also appointed to serve on the PBA’s Political Action Committee and did so in 2008.
A shareholder of the firm of Rabenold Koestel Scheidt, Wyomissing, she also maintains an office in Boyertown. Jill resides in Wyomissing with her husband, Christopher Heslop, and two sons. She is a member of Atonement Lutheran Church. During the past few years, Jill has taken up jogging as a hobby and enjoys “racing” in local 5K and 10K events. She also enjoys participating in local sprint triathlons.
