News

Med Mal Seminars Planned for Pennsylvania’s Trial Court Judges

September 15, 2004

HARRISBURG, September 15, 2004 — Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Ralph J. Cappy announced today that continuing legal educational seminars on handling medical malpractice cases will be held next month for trial judges. The two-day regional sessions — to be held in the Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Philadelphia areas — are a focused extension of the twice yearly continuing legal educational conferences for the Commonwealth’s more than 400 trial jurists. “These regional seminars represent another way for the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to assure lawyers, litigants and the public that jurists remain conversant with recent developments in this rapidly changing area of law,” the chief justice said. “Jurists see issues today in these type of cases that few envisioned 10 or 20 years ago.” Designed to facilitate the sharing of information and best civil procedural trial practices, the medical malpractice litigation seminars underscore the Judiciary’s continuing commitment to collaboratively addressing a changing and complex issue of importance to the Commonwealth’s citizenry. They also reinforce the chief justice’s desire to make the restructuring of continuing legal education for judges one of his top administrative priorities. Lehigh County Judge Thomas A. Wallitsch will act as moderator in each of the three sessions. Judges R. Stanton Wettick, Eugene B. Strassburger III and Ronald W. Folino, all of Allegheny County; Mark I. Bernstein, Sandra Mazer Moss, Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro, Jacqueline F. Allen and William J. Manfredi, all of Philadelphia; Terrence R. Nealon, of Lackawanna County and Charles B. Burr II, of Delaware County, also will moderate or serve as presenters. Various changes in Civil Procedural court rules and the Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error law or MCARE Act have taken place in the last year. On the planned agenda are topics related to pre-trial and procedural matters, trial issues and specific evidentiary matters related to medical malpractice cases as well as case management and settlement issues. Informal discussions among participants and presenters also are planned to facilitate learning. Updated med mal information will be provided at future trial judges conferences.