[3] Risa Vetri Ferman was born in Philadelphia and raised in Abington Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

In her early life, Ferman worked for her father's jewelry store, which operated 35 storefronts and mall kiosks across Philadelphia, Delaware and New Jersey for 30 years.

[6][7] While enrolled in the evening program at Widener University School of Law in 1990, she interned for the United States Attorney's Office in 1991.

[clarification needed] She has specialized in the prosecution of homicide, child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence cases.

[4] In 2008, Ferman established an Elder Abuse Unit and Task Force to support seniors targeted by criminals.

[9][10][11] Ferman supervises the Elder Abuse Task Force, a collaboration between law enforcement agencies and the county's Aging and Adult Services.

[17] MCAP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides free legal representation to children who are victims of abuse in Montgomery County.

[19] The committee consists of a variety of individual units such as school superintendents, public safety officials and law enforcement personnel.

[38] Ferman was nominated to Chair of the Criminal Procedural Rules Committee of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2010,[39] and began as a member in 2006.

[44] Philadelphia Magazine profiled Ferman in 2011 as a result of her success as District Attorney with regard to her position on politics and types of crime rising throughout Montgomery County.

[45] As of January 2015, Ferman decided to leave her position as District Attorney and run for a seat on the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas as Judge in Montgomery County.

[46] In August 2015, Ferman charged Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane for her alleged involvement in the leaking of confidential investigative information to a newspaper and for her subsequent attempts to cover up these actions.

[53][54] In November 2011, Ferman was featured as an honored guest speaker at the Widener Symposium on Child Abuse, "Lessons from Tragedy: Legal, Professional, and Ethical Issues Raised by Bradley and Beyond".

[59] Thanks to a donation from the Verizon Foundation to Mission Kids, each child usually receives a copy to take home and discuss with his/her parents.