He was also initiated as a member of the Raven's Claw Society.
[citation needed] He was in private practice in Pennsylvania from 1965 to 1977.
He was a chief of the appellate division in the Office of the Public Defender of Delaware County, from 1965 to 1974.
He was a judge on the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County from 1978 to 2000.
On April 11, 2000, Surrick was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania vacated by Judge Lowell A. Reed Jr. Surrick was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 24, 2000, and received his commission on June 5, 2000.