Unless one serves on the U.S. Supreme Court, being a judge involves the possibility that your rulings will be reviewed by a higher court. And for trial judges, that possibility is all but a certainty, given the appeal as of right that exists at the final judgment stage in nearly all cases decided by state and federal trial court judges.

Although important differences in procedure exist in the appellate process between Pennsylvania state and federal courts, one thing both judicial systems share in common is that appellate review in either forum ordinarily occurs after the trial judge has not only issued an appealable decision but also provided some explanation of the reasons for his or her ruling that will be challenged on appeal. And in both judicial systems, the trial judge’s explanation for the ruling usually takes the form of a written opinion.