Atty. Albert J. Flora, Jr.

Albert Joseph Flora Jr., ESQ, 75, passed away on Tuesday, March 4, 2026 at Sacred Heart Hospice, Dunmore. Albert has devoted much of his prolific legal career concentrating on criminal defense at the trial and appellate levels in federal and state courts. In addition to maintaining a private law practice, Albert was an Assistant Public Defender for Luzerne County, Pa. having joined that office in 1980. During his tenure there, he was responsible for handling capital and non-capital homicide cases and appeals. In 1990, he became the First Assistant and in 2010, he was appointed Chief Public Defender. As Chief Defender, one of his most significant accomplishments was the creation of a juvenile defender unit which was recognized as a state model for juvenile defense representation.

Throughout his distinguished career, Albert has gained valuable experience arguing appeals before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Pa. Supreme and Superior Courts. He has handled over 2,000 criminal cases and is internationally renowned. Albert has gained a wealth of attention representing many of his clients who have been judges, lawyers, and professional people. Albert has also successfully represented plaintiffs in complex civil cases involving architectural, engineering, and accounting malpractice, construction defects, and civil rights cases involving police misconduct and employment discrimination.

Albert’s professional legal career began when he received his Juris Doctorate of Law from the University of Baltimore School of Law. Prior to this, he completed his undergraduate studies with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Lycoming College.

Throughout his extensive career, Albert has remained abreast of the latest developments in his field by maintaining active memberships with the Pennsylvania Bar Association-Ethics Committee, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Luzerne County Bar Association-Criminal Law and Criminal Defense Committees. As a former member of the Luzerne County Juvenile Justice Task Force, he has lectured on the juvenile justice system to over 1,000 school teachers at in-service programs and high school and college students. He is a highly sought after lecturer and has been invited in the past by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Correale Stevens to lecture on criminal investigations as part of a law enforcement program, which appeared on the Pennsylvania Cable News Network. He has also been invited lecturer on criminal law and professional ethics at continuing education programs for criminal defense lawyers and state and federal public defenders.

In light of his professional excellence, Albert is the recipient of many awards and accolades. Albert also received the President and Director’s Commendation from the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers for his outstanding contributions as Chief Public Defender for Luzerne County.

Albert was a life long baseball lover and supported the Northwest Area Little League, Shickshinny, PA and has the Albert J. Flora, Jr, Field named for him and his years of support.

Albert is preceded in death by his parents, Jean and Albert Sr. Albert is survived by his sister, Linda and nieces and many cousins.

A public memorial Mass for Flora will be held at 4:45 p.m. Friday, March 6, in King’s College Chapel of Christ the King on West North Street, Wilkes-Barre.

The Vanston and James Funeral Home, Scranton has been entrusted with the care and arrangement of Atty. Floras care.