In 2020, the commonwealth executive branch faced an onslaught of high profile, critical litigation in two primary areas: COVID-19 and elections. In each category, the executive faced numerous legal challenges and tight deadlines in untested areas of law. Under the leadership of Attorney General Josh Shapiro First Deputy Attorney General Michelle Henry, and Executive Deputy Attorney General Keli Neary, the OAG litigation team embraced its role of representing the Executive branch in these many challenges, working tirelessly to provide outstanding legal services and to achieve significant victories in these uncharted legal waters.

Two important cases to note are Friends of Danny DeVito, et al v. Wolf, originally filed in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, one of many cases testing the limits of executive authority to lead the response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and Pennsylvania Democratic Party v. Boockvar, originally filed in the Commonwealth Court, one of many cases that challenged procedures for mail-in and absentee ballots and elimination of barriers to voting.