Appendix A.

Section I—Appellate Courts (General)
(Original Jurisdiction case files not included in this schedule)

Series	Description	Retention	Retained by Archives (Historical Value)
1.	Appellate Case files
	These files include appeals commenced by notice of appeal, petition for review, petition for allowance of appeal, petition for permission to appeal nunc pro tunc and petition for permission to appeal an interlocutory order. Contained in these files are all pleadings and papers filed ancillary to the appeal.	Retain for one (1) year after final disposition.
2.	Appellate Briefs
	Includes briefs filed by appellants, appellees and amicus curiae.	Retain until filing of decision.
	All three appellate courts send copies of each brief filed in an appellate matter to the State Library and Jenkins Memorial Law Library in Philadelphia. The Supreme Court also sends copies to these entities listed in Pa. R.A.P. 3191. Should this procedure change, the State Archives must be notified.
3.	Memorandum Opinions
	All unpublished opinions of the Superior or the Commonwealth Court.	Retain Permanently	*
4.	These files include papers filed in civil matters both at law and equity including but not limited be to affidavits, agreements, answers, assignments, awards, bills, bonds, certificates, complaints, decrees, executions, exemplifications, memoranda, notes, notices, opinions, orders, petitions, petitions for review, powers of attorney, praecipes, reports, returns of service, rules, subpoenas, stipulations, transfers, waivers, writs of summons, petitions to enforce, petitions for access to confidential information.	1. All matters involving title to real estate shall retained permanently. 2. Equity, declaratory judgment, mandamus. Retain for two (2) years after final disposition. 3. Matters marked withdrawn or discontinued. Retain for one (1) year after disposition.
		4. Matters dismissed for failure to prosecute. Retain for one (1) year after disposition.
		5. Matters filed pursuant to the Election Code. Retain for one (1) year after disposition.
		6. Liquidation and Rehabilitation matters under the Insurance Department Act. Retain for two (2) years after final discharge of the Insurance Commissioner as rehabilitator or liquidator.	*Petitions for liquidation and/or rehabilitation and petitions for final discharge to be reviewed for historical value.
Section II—Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (Original Jurisdiction case files not included in this schedule)
1.	Allocatur Dockets Prior to 1980 After 1981
	Case information and Record of Contents of case files in which allowance of appeal has been sought pursuant to Pa. R.A.P. 1111 et seq.	Retain Permanently	*
2.	Appeal Docket
	Case information and Record of Contents of case files of direct appeals and granted petitions for allowance of appeal.	Retain Permanently
3.	Miscellaneous Docket
	Case information and Record of Contents of case files other than appeals and petitions for allowance of appeal (N. B. During 1980 and 1981 petitions for allowance of appeal were included on this docket) and some administrative orders.	Retain Permanently	*
4.	Disciplinary Docket
	Case information and Record of Contents of attorney discipline files, record of orders promulgating or changing rules pertaining to attorney conduct, and record of appointments to the Client Security Fund Board.	Retain Permanently	*
5.	Disciplinary Board Appointment Docket (Bd. of Governance)
	Record of Appointment Orders	Retain Permanently	*
6.	Judicial Inquiry and Review Board Docket
	Case information and Record of Contents of files pertaining to the discipline of members of the judiciary, and record of orders appointing members to the Judicial Inquiry and Review Board.	Retain Permanently	*
7.	Criminal Procedural Rules Docket
	Record of orders promulgating or changing Rules of Criminal Procedure, and orders appointing members to the Criminal Procedural Rules Committee	Retain Permanently	*
8.	Civil Procedural Rules Docket
	Record of orders promulgating or changing Rules of Civil Procedure, and orders appointing members to the Civil Procedural Rules Committee	Retain Permanently	*
9.	Appellate Rules Docket
	Record of orders promulgating or changing Rules of Appellate Procedure, and orders appointing members to the Advisory Committee on Appellate Court Rules	Retain Permanently	*
10.	Judicial Administration Docket
	Record of orders issued on subjects involving judicial administration throughout the Commonwealth, and orders promulgating or changing Rules of Judicial Administration.	Retain Permanently	*
11.	Supreme Court Docket
	Record of orders promulgating or changing (former) Supreme Court rules, and Bar Admission Rules, and orders appointing members to the Pa. Commission on Sentencing, and to the Pa. Board of Law Examiners.	Retain Permanently	*
12.	Court Administrator Docket
	Record of orders dealing with the State Court Administrator’s Office, and orders appointing members to the Judicial Auditing Agency.	Retain Permanently	*
13.	Magisterial Docket—Rules
	Record of orders promulgating or changing rules of civil procedure in the minor courts and rules of conduct for district justices and magistrates; and orders appointing members to the Minor Court Civil Procedural Rules Committee	Retain Permanently	*
	—Magisterial Districts
	Record of petitions and orders dealing with apportioning and reapportioning magisterial districts.
14.	Judicial Classification Docket
	Record of petitions and orders assigning commissioned judges to divisions of the Court of Common Pleas in their judicial district.	Retain Permanently
15.	Judicial Assignment Index
	Alphabetical index to orders assigning senior judges to judicial duties and assigning commissioned judges to sit in different judicial districts.	Retain Permanently
16.	Special Masters Docket
	Record of petitions and orders for the appointment of special masters	Retain Permanently	*
17.	Roll of Attorneys
	List of the names of attorneys admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth, with date of admission and names of sponsors	Retain Permanently	*
18.	Legal Interns Docket
	Record of requests and approval for law students to engage in the limited and supervised practice of law.	Retain Permanently	*
19.	Juvenile Masters Docket
	Record of motions and approvals of attorneys authorized to act as masters under the Juvenile Act in Courts of Common Pleas.	Retain Permanently
20.	Miscellaneous Files
	These files include all initial filings which are not petitions for allowance of appeal or direct appeal items, and the subsequent filings and correspondence ancillary thereto. Historically some administrative matters were included in these files. Disciplinary matters shall be retained as prescribed in Section II: Item 20, disciplinary rules shall be retained as prescribed in Section II: Item 23, and Disciplinary Board Appointment order shall be retained as prescribed in Section II: Item 22. Other administrative matters shall be retained as prescribed elsewhere in the schedule.	Retain for one (1) year after final disposition.
21.	Disciplinary Files—Court Files
	These files include the pleadings filed with the Supreme Court, and the Court’s orders in cases involving attorney discipline.	Retain for one hundred (100) years after initial filing.	*
	—Board Records
	These papers are the actual records of disciplinary proceeding received from the Disciplinary Board and are analogous to a lower court record. They are not returned to the Board at the close of the case.
	—Transfers to Inactive Status (D.D.171)
	These files include the voluntary requests from attorneys to be transferred to inactive status, and the Court’s order in response thereto.
	—Transfers Under Rule 219 (D.D.318)
	This file contains the list received from the Disciplinary Board of those attorneys who have failed to pay their annual disciplinary fees and the order of the Court transferring those attorneys to involuntary inactive status.
22.	Disciplinary Board Appointment Orders
	These files contain the orders of the Court appointing members to the Disciplinary Board (previously known as Board of Governance) and the associated correspondence.	Retain for ten (10) years
23.	Disciplinary Rules Files
	These files contain the orders of the Court promulgating or changing rules pertaining to attorney discipline and conduct, and the associated correspondence.	Retain for seventy-five (75) years
24.	J.I.R.B. Files—Court Files
	These files contain the papers filed with the Supreme Court by the J.I.R.B. and by the respondent in cases involving allegations of misconduct by members of the judiciary, with the associated orders and correspondence.	Retain for seventy-five (75) years
	—Board Records
	These papers are the actual records of the proceedings before the J.I.R.B., and are analogous to a lower court record. They are not returned at the close of the case.
25.	Attorney Applications for Admission
	These papers include the certifications from the State Board of Law Examiners and the applications and motions for admission for individuals seeking admission to the bar.	Retain for one hundred (100) years
26.	Name Change Records
	These papers include the correspondence with the State Board of Law Examiners and the district offices of the Supreme Court recording the change of name of any attorney admitted to practice law within the Commonwealth.	Retain for one hundred (100) years
27.	Certificate of Good Standing Correspondence
	These papers include requests from attorneys for the issuance of Certificates of Good Standing and associated correspondence.	Retain for two (2) years
28.	Legal Intern Applications
	These papers include the recommendation for individual law students to engage in the limited and supervised practice of law, pursuant to Pa. B.A.R. 321, and letters approving such practice.	Retain for five (5) years
29.	Civil Rules Files
	These files contain the orders of the Court promulgating or changing Rules of Civil Procedure and orders appointing members of the Civil Procedural Rules Committee with the associated correspondence.	Retain for seventy-five (75) years
30.	Criminal Rules Files
	These files contain the orders of the Court promulgating or changing Rules of Criminal Procedure and orders appointing members to the Criminal Procedural Rules Committee with the associated correspondence.	Retain for seventy-five (75) years
31.	Appellate Rules Files
	These files contain the orders of the Court promulgating and changing Rules of Appellate Procedure and court calendars and associated correspondence.	Retain for seventy-five (75) years
32.	Judicial Administration Files
	These files contain the orders of the Court involving the Rules of Judicial Administration and other administrative orders and the associated correspondence.	Retain for seventy-five (75) years
33.	Supreme Court Rules
	These files contain the orders of the Court pertaining to the former Supreme Court Rules, the Bar Admission Rules and appointments to the Pa. Commission on Sentencing and the Pa. Board of Law Examiners.	Retain for seventy-five (75) years
34.	Court Administrator Files
	These files contain orders of the Court pertaining to court administration and the Court Administrator’s Office.	Retain for seventy-five (75) years
35.	Judicial Classifications Files
	These files contain the petitions, orders and correspondence pertaining to the assignment of commissioned judges within the judicial district in which they were commissioned.	Retain for twenty-five (25) years
36.	Judicial Assignment Orders
	These orders are maintained in loose-leaf books in sequential order. The orders assign senior judges to duties and reassign commissioned judges to other judicial districts.	Retain for twenty-five (25) years
37.	Magisterial Files—Rules
	These files contain orders and correspondence pertaining to rules of procedure in minor courts and rules of conduct for district justices and magistrates.	Retain for seventy-five (75) years
	—Magisterial Districts
	These files contain correspondence, petitions, orders and census data pertaining to the apportionment of magisterial districts.	Retain until a new order is entered
Section III—Superior Court of Pennsylvania (Original Jurisdiction case files not included in this schedule)
1.	Admission Docket
	Prior to 1972 attorneys had to be separately admitted to practice before the Superior Court	Can be given to archives immediately	*
2.	Superior Court Rules Docket
	Includes those rules promulgated by the Superior Court which are relevant to practice before the Court	75 years	*
3.	Appeals Docket
	The dockets of all cases in the Superior Court which have been assigned an appellate case number.	Retain Permanently	*
4.	Miscellaneous Docket
	The docket of all cases in the Superior Court which are not given appellate numbers.	Retain Permanently	*
5.	Miscellaneous Files
	The cases are docketed in the Superior Court upon filing of a petition when no appeal has been docketed. The files contain all papers and pleadings ancillary to the petition.	1 year after disposition
6.	General Docket
	The docket of all petitions seeking the interception of communications via pen register.	Retain Permanently
7.	Wiretap Docket
	The docket of all petitions seeking the interception of oral communication other than by pen register.	Retain Permanently
8.	Wiretap and Pen Register Files
	These files are sealed by Court Order and are kept in a protective vault. They contain the tapes, transcripts and inventories of intercepted communications.	10 years by statute
9.	Session Minutes
	The summary of the judges and attorneys who participated in a particular Superior Court session as well as the cases which comprised the session.	Retain Permanently	*
10.	Memorandum Opinions
	All unpublished opinions	Retain Permanently	*
Section IV—Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
1.	Appeals from Board of Finance and Revenue Files
	These files include petitions for review of decisions of the Board of Finance and Revenue and all related papers, with the exception of bonds filed pursuant to Pa. R.A.P. 1734.	Retain for one (1) year after final disposition
2.	Bonds (Bd. of Fin. and Rev. Cases)
	All bonds filed in appeals from decisions of the Board of Finance and Revenue pursuant to Pa. R.A.P. 1734.	Retain for five (5) years after final disposition.
3.	Commonwealth Docket
	Case information relating to all appeals filed with the Commonwealth Court. The Commonwealth docket also contains information regarding original jurisdiction actions commenced in the Commonwealth Court prior to January 1, 1989. Finance and Revenue appeals were included prior to that time as well.	Retain Permanently	*
4.	Miscellaneous Docket
	Case information for matters commenced in the Commonwealth Court other than appellate matters. Miscellaneous Docket contains case information regarding original jurisdiction matters after December 31, 1988. The Miscellaneous docket also contains case information regarding petitions for permission to appeal and petitions for permission to appeal nunc pro tunc prior to December 31, 1988.	Retain Permanently	*
5.	Finance and Revenue Docket
	This docket contains information regarding appeals from determinations of the Board of Finance and Revenue filed after December 31, 1988.	Retain Permanently	*
6.	Transfer Docket
	This docket contains information on all cases transferred to the Commonwealth Court from the Superior Court or Courts of Common Pleas prior to January 1, 1989.	Retain Permanently	*
7.	Judgment Docket
	This docket contains an alphabetical listing of all judgments entered in the Commonwealth Court since its inception.	Retain Permanently	*
8.	Foreign Registry Docket
	This docket contains information regarding cases filed against foreign governments pursuant to this Court’s jurisdiction at 42 P. S. § 761.	Retain Permanently	*

NOTE: Foreign Registry files will be treated in the same manner as other original jurisdiction cases.

Source

The provisions of this Appendix A amended February 19, 1993, effective immediately, 23 Pa.B. 817; amended June 7, 2002, effective immediately, 32 Pa.B. 2750. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (276513) to (276522).