The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court marked Constitution Day Sept. 17 with a special ceremonial session in the Historic Lehigh County Courthouse, highlighting the importance of civic education, the rule of law and the preservation of one of the state’s oldest courtrooms.

Judges of the Commonwealth Court joined Lehigh County judges, attorneys and local officials in the courthouse’s restored historic courtroom, which court officials said is believed to be the oldest trial court courtroom in Pennsylvania still in continuous use.

“It’s a phenomenal attribution to Lehigh County for putting all the time and the energy into restoring this absolutely gorgeous building,” Commonwealth Court Judge Anne E. Covey said in opening remarks.

The ceremony coincided with Constitution Day, observed annually on Sept. 17 to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.

Commonwealth Court President Judge Renée Cohn Jubelirer, a former Lehigh County judge, addressed attendees remotely as she continues recovering from back surgery. She reflected on taking her oath of office in the same courtroom nearly 25 years ago.

“Lehigh County is where my journey to the bench began,” Cohn Jubelirer said. “That moment was not just the start of my career on the bench, but part of my lifelong commitment to justice.”

Lehigh County President Judge Douglas G. Reichley welcomed members of the Commonwealth Court and recounted the courthouse’s long history. Lehigh County was established in 1812, and construction of the original courthouse began just a few years later. Over the following two centuries, the building underwent multiple expansions to accommodate the county’s growth and evolving judicial system.

“The courts have always had to evolve as the communities they serve have evolved as well,” Reichley said.

He also noted the courthouse’s connection to American history, telling attendees that abolitionist Frederick Douglass delivered an address there in 1870.

“There are places where the most important questions facing our communities, and sometimes our nation, are discussed and resolved,” Reichley said of courthouses.

The courthouse underwent extensive restoration work before being rededicated in 2023 as the Historic Lehigh County Courthouse. Reichley said preserving historic architecture and maintaining a functioning courthouse can go hand in hand.

Throughout the ceremony, speakers emphasized that courts are part of the communities they serve and that public confidence in government depends on respect for the rule of law.

Lehigh County Bar Association President Lisa A. Zayaitz said the event offered residents and members of the legal community an opportunity to better understand the role of the Commonwealth Court, which hears appeals involving state and local government agencies and other public matters.

“Opportunities like this remind us that our courts are not distant institutions,” Zayaitz said. “They are part of the communities they serve.”

Closing the ceremony, Covey thanked attorneys, judges and court staff for their work and said Constitution Day serves as a reminder of the judiciary’s responsibility to provide stability and fairness.

“We’re reminded that the importance of the rule of law gives stability and certainty to all the citizens of this great commonwealth,” she said.

The Commonwealth Court later conducted proceedings in the courthouse following the ceremonial session.