Nicole Ippolito does not look like a politician because she really isn’t one. Yes, she is running to be elected to the office of District Attorney for Lycoming County, but in truth, she is doing what is required to get her name in the public eye so she can do the job that she has in her lifeblood — bringing justice through the law.

For the past six years, Nicole Ippolito has served as an Assistant District Attorney for Lycoming County. Originally from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, she attended Rutgers University to study environmental science. While in school she interned with the EPA traveling around the USA testing air and water quality. Upon graduation, she spent five years as a contractor for the environmental industry. But over this time it became more and more apparent that this was not meant to be her life work.

After consulting with her parents, who incidentally still have a strong influence on her life, Nicole decided on a legal career. Being very conservative made her an unpopular student at Rutgers Law School, and perhaps it was what helped to toughen her up for what awaited her down the road.

Her first job after passing the bar was to serve for a year as a law clerk for a criminal judge, followed by serving as a criminal defense attorney for three years. She followed that with work at the federal level.

Living all this time in the Philadelphia/New Jersey area, she was pleasantly surprised when she visited her brother in Williamsport in December of 2011. Nicole immediately began to explore the possibilities of work in the area and was thrilled when she was able to secure a position with the county as a Public Defender. Two years later she was appointed to an assistant district attorney. In ADA Ippolito’s tenure, she has had some 73 trials that have included DUIs, drug deliveries, aggravated assaults, attempted homicides, and homicides.

Workaholic would be the best word to describe her lifestyle. She loves her occupation and spends evenings and weekends pouring over her cases. Instead of hobbies, Nicole devotes herself to a host of volunteer activities. She is board member of the YWCA, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Lycoming County Health Improvement Coalition, and also works with the Domestic Violence Task Force, the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team, FireTree Place Sports Events with Law Enforcement, the Mental Health Forensic Review Team and events such as the Annual Wills for Heroes and coaching for the Montoursville Area High School Mock Trial Team.

Yet, for all this, Nicole Ippolito loves the courtroom and receives fulfillment in knowing that those who bring poison into our society for financial gain will pay in another way. However, to get elected, it is necessary to campaign for an office, and by definition, this makes a person a “politician.” For Nicole Ippolito, campaigning is a chance to engage people, to help the public put a face to a very important job — district attorney for the county of Lycoming.