Resources & Program Recordings

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Learn about the legal rights and protections afforded to journalists, compare them with the challenges reporters face in practice, and examine how press freedom is applied in real-world situations. With speaker:

• Isabella Salomão Nascimento — Ballard Spahr

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Learn how judicial codes of conduct govern judges’ behavior, including the rules surrounding public statements, political activity, and extrajudicial speech. Explore how judges balance free expression with the need to maintain fairness, impartiality, and public trust in

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Award-winning journalist Rick Tulsky has dedicated his career to exposing flaws in the criminal justice system and exploring ways to improve it. His reporting has appeared in publications including the Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the San Jose Mercury

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Learn how federal and state sentencing guidelines work, what factors judges must consider, and the roles judges and attorneys play in the sentencing process. With speakers:

• Judge Megan Sullivan — Pennsylvania Superior Court
• Judge L. Felipe Restrepo — U.S. Court of Appeals

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Learn what appellate courts are, what to look for in oral arguments, and how to understand judicial decisions better. With speakers:

• Justice David Wecht — Pennsylvania Supreme Court
• Judge Lori Dumas — Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court
• Judge Theodore McKee — U.S. Court of

PMC's ninth annual Spring into Action Benefit was held on May 11, 2026. This benefit used a hybrid format, and the in-person venue was the Duquesne Club.

Click here to watch a recording of the event.

Click here to view the Digital Program Booklet.

PMC presented the Judge Justin Johnson Award to Judge

Click below to view or download our 2025 Judicial Independence Benefit E-Tribute. Thank you to all who contributed!

PMC's tenth annual Judicial Independence Benefit was held on November 17, 2025 using a hybrid format at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

Click here to watch a recording of the event.

The event's keynote speaker was Mara Liasson. Mara Liasson is the senior national political correspondent for

Pennsylvania is one of only a handful of states still electing all of its judges in partisan political elections. In 2025, Pennsylvania voters will choose candidates for key judicial positions, including seats on the state’s appellate courts. Notably, there will be a vacancy on the Commonwealth &