Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 2501 (2026)

Appearance in person or by counsel.

✓ current as of May 2026

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CHAPTER 25

REPRESENTATION OF LITIGANTS

Subchapter

A. General Provisions

B. Attorneys and Counsellors

Enactment. Chapter 25 was added July 9, 1976, P.L.586, No.142, effective 60 days from the date of final enactment of the act of April 28, 1978, P.L.202, No.53.

SUBCHAPTER A

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec.

2501. Appearance in person or by counsel.

2502. Certain persons not to appear as counsel.

2503. Right of participants to receive counsel fees.

2504. Letters of attorney.

§ 2501. Appearance in person or by counsel.

(a) Civil matters.--In all civil matters before any tribunal every litigant shall have a right to be heard, by himself and his counsel, or by either of them.

(b) Criminal matters.--In all criminal prosecutions the accused has a right to be heard by himself and his counsel.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 21 cases (7 in the last 5 years), 1984–2026 · leading case: Barrett, A. v. M&B Med. Billing, Inc., 291 A.3d 371 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2022).

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Barrett, A. v. M&B Med. Billing, Inc., 291 A.3d 371 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2022). · cites it 4× “See 42 Pa.C.S. § 2501(a) (stating that “[i]n all civil matters before any tribunal every litigant shall have a right to be heard, by himself and his counsel, or by either of them”); see also In re Lawrence Cty.”

In Re Adoption of T.M.F., 573 A.2d 1035 (Pa. 1990). · cites it 4× “" The fourteenth amendment of the United States Constitution, section 1, provides: "[N]or shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.”

Delaware Valley Landscape Stone v. RRQ, LLC, 2022 Pa. Super. 173 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2022). “See 42 Pa.C.S. § 2501(a) (stating that “[i]n all civil matters before any tribunal every litigant shall have a right to be heard, by himself and his counsel, or by either of them”); see also In re Lawrence Cty.”

In Re Lawrence Cnty. Tax Claim Bureau, 998 A.2d 675 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2010). “42 Pa.C.S. § 2501(a). A partnership is not a natural person, but a partner is a natural person.”

Harper v. Pa. Bd. of Prob. & Parole, 520 A.2d 518 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1987). “In Winters , we held that under Section 2501 of the Judicial Code, 42 Pa. C. S. §2501, a party does not have a liberty interest in filing pro se briefs or motions where they are already adequately represented by counsel.”

In re V.E., 611 A.2d 1267 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1992). “The court focused on the adversarial process and the liberty interest involved in criminal cases and contrasted it with the quasi-adversarial process inherent in the principle of parens patriae.”

Winters v. Commonwealth, Pennsylvania Bd. of Prob. & Parole, 503 A.2d 488 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1986). · cites it 2× “Winters next oalls our attention to 42 Pa. C. S. §2501 (a), which provides that: (ia) Civil matters.”

Commonwealth v. Baker, 474 A.2d 415 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1984). “Because the only identification of the type of body which can function under that chapter of the Judicial Code is to be found in 42 Pa. C. S. §2501 (a), which confers upon every “litigant” a right to be heard before “any tribunal,” the pivotal question becomes whether the…”

Commonwealth v. Staton, 120 A.3d 277 (Pa. 2015). “Appellant’s ineffectiveness claim appears to focus on trial counsel’s use of the word “intentional” while setting forth the verbatim definition of criminal homicide set forth in the Crimes Code, 42 Pa.C.S. § 2501(a), and relies on that sentence in isolation, rather than in…”

May v. Sharon, 546 A.2d 1256 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1988). “He argues there exists, under 42 Pa.C.S. § 2501(b), a “right to be heard” in court, and his right to have counsel appointed is relative to that section.”

Freidhoff v. Bd. of Sch. Directors of Conemaugh Valley Sch. Dist., 586 A.2d 1038 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1991). “” Our precedents establish that a party is “ready for trial” if counsel representing that party is in court ready to proceed, even if the party is not present in person.”

In Re Ve, 611 A.2d 1267 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1992). · cites it 2× “The court focused on the adversarial process and the liberty interest involved in criminal cases and contrasted it with the quasi-adversarial process inherent in the principle of parens patriae.”

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— 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 2501(a) — 12 cases

Barrett, A. v. M&B Med. Billing, Inc., 291 A.3d 371 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2022). “See 42 Pa.C.S. § 2501(a) (stating that “[i]n all civil matters before any tribunal every litigant shall have a right to be heard, by himself and his counsel, or by either of them”); see also In re Lawrence Cty.”

In Re Adoption of T.M.F., 573 A.2d 1035 (Pa. 1990). “" The fourteenth amendment of the United States Constitution, section 1, provides: "[N]or shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.”

In Re Lawrence Cnty. Tax Claim Bureau, 998 A.2d 675 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2010). “42 Pa.C.S. § 2501(a). A partnership is not a natural person, but a partner is a natural person.”

— 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 2501(b) — 3 cases

Com. v. Sewell, L. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2023).

Com. v. Helms, R. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2014).

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