News

Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Held Special Session at the Historic Lehigh County Courthouse

September 17, 2026

Committed to making court proceedings accessible to all Pennsylvanians, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania held a special session today at the Lehigh County Historic Courthouse.

The session gave members of the public an opportunity to observe appellate court proceedings and learn more about Pennsylvania’s judicial system.

“The Commonwealth Court’s special session in Lehigh County reflects our commitment to making the judicial system accessible and understandable to the people it serves,” said Commonwealth Court President Judge Renée Cohn Jubelirer. “By holding arguments outside our usual courtrooms, we give the community an opportunity to see the appellate process in action, hear attorneys present their cases, and observe how judges consider the legal issues before the court.”

Commonwealth Court Judge Anne E. Covey (presiding), Judge Stacy Wallace and Judge Matthew S. Wolf heard oral arguments for several cases during the special session.

Additionally, several other Commonwealth Court judges visited three area colleges as part of the Court’s ongoing commitment to civics outreach, and spoke with students about the distinctions between state and federal constitutional protections, the role of the judiciary within our constitutional system, and the importance of an independent judiciary.

“Lehigh County is honored to have welcomed the Commonwealth Court to our Historic Courthouse,” said Lehigh County President Judge Douglas Reichley. “This special session and civics outreach gave residents and students a valuable opportunity to see a statewide appellate court at work in their own community and better understand how appeals are argued and decided.”

The Commonwealth Court is one of Pennsylvania’s two intermediate appellate courts. It hears appeals involving state and local government, including cases related to zoning, taxes, workers’ compensation, unemployment compensation, environmental issues, public assistance, utility rates and elections. The court also has original jurisdiction in certain cases involving the Commonwealth.

The court typically hears cases in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, but periodically holds special sessions in communities throughout Pennsylvania.

Learn more about Commonwealth Court here.

 

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Media Contact:  Kim Bathgate, 717-576-4373