A. Tereasa Rerko

Partner

    Contact Information

  • Location: Greensburg
  • Office Phone: 888-534-6016
  • Fax: 724-837-1348
  • Email: cjb@qrlegal.com

    Practice Areas

  • Social Security Disability
  • Mediation & Arbitration Services
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Biography

Tereasa Rerko is a partner at the firm and concentrates her practice in the area of Social Security Disability. Subsequent to obtaining her MA degree, she will also now be serving as a third party neutral in mediation matters.

Practicing law since 1984, Ms. Rerko is a member of the Westmoreland and Pennsylvania Bar Associations. She has consistently been listed in Who’s Who of American Lawyers in every year since 1997. Tereasa is a co-author to the Pennsylvania Bar Institute publication Fee Agreements in Pennsylvania, Workers’ Compensation Chapter.

In 1998, in the case of Fink v. WCAB (Vinal Pride and State Auto Insurance Company), Ms. Rerko convinced the Commonwealth Court, in a workers’ compensation proceeding, that the employer, in order to modify an injured worker’s benefits, must introduce specific evidence that the job offered is within the required geographical distance from the Claimant’s home. Since the employer failed to produce that evidence, the Court found that the job was not “actually available” to the Claimant and denied the employer’s request to reduce our client’s weekly workers’ compensation benefit.

Attorney Tereasa Rerko was successful in obtaining a Remand of a Social Security Disability case that was appealed to Federal District Court in Pittsburgh. The Court found that the administrative law judge who decided the case did not use the correct standard when evaluating what side effects were caused by the Claimant’s pain medication, and how those side effects impacted the Claimant’s ability to work on a full-time basis. The case was then sent back for another hearing before an administrative law judge. The case, Lickenfelt v. Astrue, 2008 WL 2275538 (Western District of Pa.), has been published in the Federal Court Reporter, and in the future will affect other cases with the same issues.

Attorney Rerko was recently elected to the PennWest California (formerly California University of Pennsylvania) Alumni Association Board of Directors for a three-year term, and is currently serving as the Vice-President of the Association..

Ms. Rerko previously served on the Board of Directors of United Way of Southwestern PA and is currently a member of its Women’s Leadership Council. She previously served on the Board of Directors of accessAbilities, Inc., serving as Vice-President and also chair of the Board Development Committee, and also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the accessAbilities Foundation, its sister agency.

Ms. Rerko was involved with the former Girl Scout Council of Westmoreland for more than 17 years. Most recently she served two three-year terms as president of the Board. She has also served as Nominating Committee Chair and Member at Large of the Board. As president, she initiated and finalized the Council’s first strategic planning effort.

Ms. Rerko has also served several terms on the Board of Directors of ParentWise of Westmoreland County. Ms. Rerko has been a member of the Zonta Club of Westmoreland. Zonta is an invitation-only International Women’s Organization, whose mission is service to both the local community as well as the world community. She has also been a member of the Executive Women of Westmoreland. This group is a local affiliate of the National Association of Female Executives. She previously served as Chair of the Westmoreland County Commission for Women and Families.

Ms. Rerko received her B.A. in Political Science, cum laude, from California University of Pennsylvania in 1979 and her J.D. from the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University (formerly Duquesne University School of Law) in 1984. She obtained her M.A. in Conflict Resolution, with honors, from California University of Pennsylvania in 2020. She lives in Bullskin Township with her husband, Thomas, and son, Patrick.

Ms. Rerko is active in her church, the Partner Parishes of St. Pius X and Visitation of the B.V.M in Mt. Pleasant, where she serves as a lector as well as a member of the Finance Council, and previously served as a catechist for the Children’s Liturgy of the Word program.

Bar Admissions

  • Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court Western District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims

Education

  • Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University (formerly Duquesne University School of Law), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
    • J.D. – 1984
  • California University of Pennsylvania, California, Pennsylvania
    • M.A. (with honors) – 2020
    • Major: Conflict Resolution
  • California University of Pennsylvania, California
    • B.A. – 1979
    • Honors: cum laude
    • Honors: Dean’s List all semesters
    • Major: Political Science/Pre-Law

Published Works

  • Co-Author, Fee Agreements in Pennsylvania, Workers’ Compensation Chapter, Pennsylvania Bar Institute

Representative Cases

  • Fink v. WCAB (Vinal Pride and State Auto Insurance Company), 1998
  • Lickenfelt v. Astrue, WL 2275538, 2008, Western District of Pa.

Honors and Awards

  • Who’s Who of American Lawyers
  • Superlawyer, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Westmoreland Bar Association, Member
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association, Member
  • American Bar Association, Past Member
  • Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, Past Member
  • NOSSCR – National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives
  • Mediation Council of Western PA
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association – Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee
  • accessAbilities, Inc., Board of Directors, Past Member
  • ParentWise of Westmoreland County, Board of Directors, Past Member
  • Zonta Club of Westmoreland, Past Member
  • Executive Women of Westmoreland, Past Member
  • National Association of Female Executives, Past Member
  • Girl Scout Council of Westmoreland, Chair, 1998 to 2004
  • Westmoreland County Commission for Women and Families, 2006 to 2014
  • United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Past Board Member
  • Women’s Leadership Council of United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, 2013 to Present

Pro Bono Activities

  • Lector & Catechist, Children’s Liturgy of the Word Program, Partner Parishes of St. Pius X and Visitation
    of the B.V.M. in Mt. Pleasant