President Judge Jack Panella has announced that the Pennsylvania Superior Court has commenced a pilot program to make remote argument by video conference available to counsel and litigants based on convenience and necessity.

Pursuant to this pilot program, counsel and self-represented litigants whose cases have been assigned to other argument panels may submit a motion to the Court on its designated form, to participate in a remote argument session. Remote argument will occur for thirty (30) cases on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, December 6-8, 2022, at a time to be determined by the Court after receipt of all motions submitted from this and other scheduled argument panels. The number of days for this remote panel will depend on the number of motions that the Court receives.

To present remote argument, counsel or self-represented parties must execute and return the Motion for Leave to Appear Remotely to the applicable district office. The motion may be PACFiled, mailed, or filed at the counter, but must be received in the Prothonotary’s Office not later than 14 calendar days from the date this notification was docketed. The Prothonotary’s Office will then notify participants of the exact date and time of their remote argument as soon as possible prior to the argument session.

The remote argument session will be filled on a first-come/first-served basis. If the remote argument list has been filled when a motion is received, the filer will be notified as soon as possible, and their case will remain on the previously scheduled argument panel.

Participating counsel and self-represented litigants will be required to attend an orientation and equipment test on the morning of argument. Participants who do not attend this orientation will not be allowed to participate in argument by videoconference and may be limited to argument by telephone. At the court’s discretion, counsel and/or the self-represented litigant(s) not attending the practice session may also relinquish the ability to present argument and their case will be submitted on briefs.

To ensure public access, argument for this session will be streamed on YouTube, where it may be viewed by all members of the public. However, the Court retains control of all images and audio without exception. No party, their counsel, or any spectator may record, photograph, broadcast, or otherwise capture any audio, video, or image of any aspect of this remote argument. This prohibition includes transmittal to co-counsel, support staff, or any client.

Questions concerning this pilot program may be directed to the respective district offices as follows:

• Eastern District Office (Philadelphia): Benjamin Kohler, Esq., Deputy Prothonotary; 215-560-5800
• Middle District Office (Harrisburg): Jennifer Traxler, Esq., Deputy Prothonotary; 717-772-1294
• Western District Office (Pittsburgh): Bobbi Jo Wagner, Esq., Deputy Prothonotary; 412-565-7592