Today’s welcome news of a successful coronavirus vaccine candidate brings hope that perhaps in-person appellate oral arguments may be able to resume at some point in 2021. For now, let’s review how the oral argument policies of the Pennsylvania Superior Court, the far busier of Pennsylvania’s two state intermediate appellate courts, have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Until mid-March 2020, the Superior Court had one of the most permissive oral argument policies of any appellate court anywhere. So long as the party taking the appeal filed its opening brief on time and requested oral argument in a timely manner, oral argument would be permitted. Even pro se litigants could receive oral argument in that manner. I would like to think that at least some pro se litigants were better at presenting appellate oral argument than some of the attorneys I have seen argue at the Superior Court over the years, although that may be wishful thinking.