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    Office of General Counsel

    Judicial Vacancies

    Pursuant to Office of Gen. Counsel v. Bumsted, 247 A.3d 71 (Pa. Cmwlth. Ct. 2020), applications and related information submitted to the Office of General Counsel in response to judicial vacancy announcements may be public records, and may be disclosed to the public in response to requests made under Pennsylvania's Right to Know Law, 65 P.S. § 67.101, et. seq.  

     

    No assurance of confidentiality, express or implied, may be inferred as to any information submitted to the Office of General Counsel in response to judicial vacancy announcements.

     

    Governor Josh Shapiro is now accepting applications for open interim judicial positions on the Courts of Common Pleas of Pennsylvania and the Magisterial District Courts.  Please see the announcement below:
     
    Announcement of Judicial Vacancies

    Governor Josh Shapiro invites all persons interested in being considered for an interim appointment to obtain and submit an application (“Questionnaire for Local Judicial Applicants”) that can be found in the Application section below.  

    These appointments will complete the remainder of terms expiring on January 5, 2026. The following list identifies vacancies that may be filled as well as the application deadlines for each:
     
    Courts of Common PleasApplication Deadline
    McKeanJanuary 8, 2025, 5:00 PM
     
     


    Diversity

    In accordance with the Governor’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, qualified women, members of minority groups, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to submit applications. Please note that all applicants interested in being considered for an interim appointment must complete this process, regardless of whether they have participated in previous judicial selection processes.

     

    Application

    In order to be considered for an interim appointment to a judicial position on the Court of Common Pleas or a Magisterial District Court please download and complete the Questionnaire for Local Judicial Applicants  and Authorization for the Release of Information.

    The Questionnaire and Authorization for the Release of Information must be completed in their  entirety in Microsoft Word or PDF format and returned by email to PA-JudicialSelectionApplication@pa.gov, no later than 5:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time, on the deadlines assigned to each district above.

    In order to be eligible for appointment, applicants to the Court of Common Pleas vacancies must have resided in the relevant county for one year and be an attorney admitted to the Pennsylvania bar. Applicants to Magisterial District Judge positions must have resided in the magisterial district for a one-year period and become certified as a District Judge by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts or be an attorney admitted to the Pennsylvania bar.

    Questions concerning the application documents can be addressed in writing to:     

    PA-JudicialSelectionApplication@pa.gov