Lawyers in Pennsylvania

The Judicial System of Pennsylvania is one of the oldest in The United States. The entry-level courts in the judiciary are municipal and magisterial district courts. There are more than 500 entry-level courts in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. They address preliminary hearings or setting bail (except in murder or voluntary manslaughter cases). They can decide minor civil cases. The next level is the state’s trial courts. Trial courts or Courts of Common Pleas are in 60 judicial districts. Major civil and criminal cases come to these courts. After Courts of Common Pleas, next level courts in The Judicial System of Pennsylvania are the statewide intermediate appellate courts. There are two types of appellate courts in Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth Court and the Superior Court. These courts hear civil and criminal cases from the trial courts. Some original cases brought against the state may come to these courts for direct hearing. But there is a difference in the roles between the Commonwealth Court and the Superior Court. The first one handles original civil actions brought by and against the Commonwealth. The second one handles appeals in civil and criminal cases from the Courts of Common Pleas. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the last resort in the state’s judicial system. The structure of the state’s court system is like a pyramid. And the Supreme Court is at the top of that structure. The state’s Supreme Court is the oldest appellate court in the nation. It hears direct appeals from lower courts’ decisions. The Supreme Court has administrative authority over the whole court system.

The Pennsylvania Bar Association runs an LRS (Lawyer Referral Service). The public can use the service to find attorneys in the counties that do not have their referral service. The Pennsylvania Bar Association LRS covers more than 45 counties in the state. This service is a computer-generated program for clients to find lawyers with certain criteria. Lawyers participate in this program as a voluntary service. When one calls the service, he or she will talk with a trained representative of LRS. The representative can help the client to select the referral attorney. Then the client is free to contact that lawyer directly. He or she can book a 30 minutes consultation session. It will not cost more than $30. Half of that paid amount will go to the Lawyer Referral Service along with the client referral form.

The attorneys under the PBA LRS do not offer free legal advice. If someone needs free legal services, that person should contact the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network. This network is an independent legal aid program that offers legal assistance to low-income citizens. But they can only offer their assistance for civil cases. For other types of cases, the client must contact the PBA Lawyer Referral Service. This Legal Aid Network mostly works in the area of job preservation cases, wage cases, unemployment compensation benefit cases, and cases involving the misclassification of workers as independent contractors. This network also runs a service to educate the public and various social service agencies on these issues.

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The Judicial System of Pennsylvania is one of the oldest in The United States. The entry-level courts in the judiciary are municipal and magisterial district courts. There are more than 500 entry-level courts in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. They address preliminary hearings or setting bail (except in murder or voluntary manslaughter cases). They can decide minor civil cases. The next level is the state’s trial courts. Trial courts or Courts of Common Pleas are in 60 judicial districts. Major civil and criminal cases come to these courts. After Courts of Common Pleas, next level courts in The Judicial System of Pennsylvania are the statewide intermediate appellate courts. There are two types of appellate courts in Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth Court and the Superior Court. These courts hear civil and criminal cases from the trial courts. Some original cases brought against the state may come to these courts for direct hearing. But there is a difference in the roles between the Commonwealth Court and the Superior Court. The first one handles original civil actions brought by and against the Commonwealth. The second one handles appeals in civil and criminal cases from the Courts of Common Pleas. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the last resort in the state’s judicial system. The structure of the state’s court system is like a pyramid. And the Supreme Court is at the top of that structure. The state’s Supreme Court is the oldest appellate court in the nation. It hears direct appeals from lower courts’ decisions. The Supreme Court has administrative authority over the whole court system.

The Pennsylvania Bar Association runs an LRS (Lawyer Referral Service). The public can use the service to find attorneys in the counties that do not have their referral service. The Pennsylvania Bar Association LRS covers more than 45 counties in the state. This service is a computer-generated program for clients to find lawyers with certain criteria. Lawyers participate in this program as a voluntary service. When one calls the service, he or she will talk with a trained representative of LRS. The representative can help the client to select the referral attorney. Then the client is free to contact that lawyer directly. He or she can book a 30 minutes consultation session. It will not cost more than $30. Half of that paid amount will go to the Lawyer Referral Service along with the client referral form.

The attorneys under the PBA LRS do not offer free legal advice. If someone needs free legal services, that person should contact the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network. This network is an independent legal aid program that offers legal assistance to low-income citizens. But they can only offer their assistance for civil cases. For other types of cases, the client must contact the PBA Lawyer Referral Service. This Legal Aid Network mostly works in the area of job preservation cases, wage cases, unemployment compensation benefit cases, and cases involving the misclassification of workers as independent contractors. This network also runs a service to educate the public and various social service agencies on these issues.

Are You Looking For a Lawyer? Fill This Form to Contact a Lawyer Near You:

Your email address