SCOPAblog

04/01/2026

This month on SCOPABlog, the Court issues a landmark decision holding that the Pennsylvania Constitution prohibits life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, limits the scope of the sexual abuse exception to governmental immunity to cases of child sexual abuse, and grants review to consider the import of the U.S. Supreme Court's continuing struggle with the Confrontation Clause in the context of expert foundation.

https://www.scopablog.com/scopablog/march-2026-docket-review

03/30/2026

Hi, everyone -

On this new episode of the Standard of Review, I talk with Attorney Alex Bomstein of Clean Air Council about his win in Clean Air Council v. DEP. The case clarifies when plaintiffs challenging permits under Pennsylvania's Clean Streams Law can obtain attorney's fees from applicants, and is a win both for private enforcement of environmental rights and an excellent illustration of the principle that statutorily provided discretion imports statutory purpose.

The Standard of Review · Episode

03/01/2026

Hi, everyone -

On this new episode of the Standard of Review, I talk with Attorney Tim Kolman of Kolman Law about his win in Salsburg v. Mann. That case held that an employee my bring an action against a supervisor for interferening with her employment relationship based on personal animus.

Podcast Episode · The Standard of Review · February 28 · 40m

12/01/2025

Hi, everyone -

This month on SCOPABlog, Justices Donohue, Dougherty, and Wecht weather the partisan storm of November’s retention election, the Court issues two decisions grappling with the interstices of statutory construction, and adopts an somehow-necessary-in-2025 rule precluding lower courts from requiring “wet” signatures on court filings.

To read the full docket review of all the Court’s precedential opinions and allocatur grants, check out https://www.scopablog.com/scopablog/november-2025-docket-review .

November 2025 Docket Review Nov 28 Written By Corrie Woods The big news this month is not about what’s on the docket, but, rather, about who will be on the bench. All three of Justices Donohue, Dougherty, and Wecht, as well as Judge Alice Beck Dubow of the Superior Court, and Judge Michael Wojcik ...

11/10/2025

Hi, everyone -

Check out our new episode of The Standard of Review. In this episode, I interview Casey Coyle of Babst Calland about Greenwood Gaming v. Dept. of Revenue, a case that attempts to honor a legislatively struck balance between state-run lottery and private-run casino gaming. It's an interesting look into an evolving area of the law and an evolving sector of Pennsylvania's economy.

A podcast dedicated to Pennsylvania Supreme Court decisions, hosted by appellate attorney Corrie Woods, featuring expert insights on complex legal issues.

10/30/2025

Hi, everyone --

I’m writing today to ask those of you in Pennsylvania to vote YES to retain Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht, and Judges Alice Beck Dubow and Michael Wojcik, in Tuesday’s election.

tl;dr: The short version of this message is that judges should be retained if they are faithfully attempting to interpret and apply the law, and all of these Justices and Judges pass that test easily.

Here's the long (okay, really long) version.

https://www.scopablog.com/scopablog/special-comment-on-retention

10/01/2025

This month on SCOPAblog, the Court holds parents cannot bind their children to arbitrate civil claims, cautions against using "high crime area" as a talisman to ward off constitutional rights, and holds that voters who cast facially defective absentee and mail-in ballots must be notified so that they can cast provisional ballots. Read more at https://www.scopablog.com/scopablog/september-2025-docket-review

And subscribe for updates in your inbox at https://www.scopablog.com/

Welcome toSCOPABlog Authored by Pennsylvania appellate attorney Corrie Woods, Esq., SCOPABlog is the only regular blog providing comprehensive monthly coverage of and commentary about the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania’s precedential opinions and allocatur grants. We strive to provide an thoughtful...

09/01/2025

This month on SCOPAblog, the Court wades into whether and when social media posts are public records, and I debunk the remarkable view that the Court's decision ending partisan gerrymandering was a partisan gerrymander.

August 2025 Docket Review (and Special Comment) Sep 1 Written By Corrie Woods This month, the Court issued 3 precedential opinions and 5 grants of allocatur, summarized and accessible below.Although I would ordinarily dive a bit deeper into the cases, I want to use this space for what seems like a m...

08/06/2025

In this episode of The Standard of Reivew, I spoke with Attorney Brandy Hoke of Jacobson, Julius, & Harshberger to discuss the Court's decision in Commonwealth v. Greer, which clarified when and how petitioners under the Post Conviction Relief Act can, and must, request new counsel and raise claims of ineffective assistance of prior PCRA counsel, on penalty of waiver. The case is required reading for anyone who practices in the criminal and postconviction spaces. Let's hope the episode is required listening, too.

Listen, like and subscribe for more.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2cd2uegu2BeYa7hP8WpAV9

The Standard of Review · Episode

08/02/2025

This month on SCOPAblog, the Court wades again into the nature of alternative rehabilitative disposition and the complex interaction of civil and criminal DUI sanctions, and grants review to consider the Superior Court's assessment of Pennsylvania's primary gun-control statute given recent U.S. Supreme Court expansion of the Second Amendment.

Welcome toSCOPABlog Authored by Pennsylvania appellate attorney Corrie Woods, Esq., SCOPABlog is the only regular blog providing comprehensive monthly coverage of and commentary about the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania’s precedential opinions and allocatur grants. We strive to provide an thoughtful...

06/19/2025

Hi, all—

Happy to announce a new episode of our podcast, The Standard of Review, which covers decisions of the PA Supreme Court in depth with the advocates who argue them.

In this episode, I got to sit down with Sue Frietsche of the Women’s Law Project, and discuss the Court’s recent decision overruling an earlier case permitting gender discrimination based on “physical differences.” The Court’s decision includes numerous holdings in areas from third party standing to constitutional interpretation to natural law, and is nothing short of a tour de force.

Listen, like and subscribe for more.

The Standard of Review · Episode