Lawyers in Philadelphia, PA

Finding a lawyer in Philadelphia

Philadelphia is both a city and a county, and its court system reflects that: the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania covers Philadelphia's Court of Common Pleas for larger civil and criminal matters, while Philadelphia Municipal Court handles smaller claims, less serious criminal cases and landlord-tenant disputes. Philadelphia also has a federal immigration court, which draws immigration cases from across the surrounding region.

As Pennsylvania's largest city, Philadelphia has one of the state's deepest legal markets, with firms covering everything from personal injury and criminal defense to business, medical malpractice and immigration. Its auto insurance rules also matter here specifically: Pennsylvania drivers choose between full tort and limited tort coverage, which affects what a car-accident claim can recover.

This page lists Philadelphia law firms by practice area. Open a listing to see where the firm is based and what it handles, then contact the office directly.

Practice areas people search for in Philadelphia

• Personal Injury and Car Accident — crash and premises claims in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, usually on a contingency fee.
• Criminal Defense — defense from a preliminary hearing through trial in Philadelphia Municipal Court or the Court of Common Pleas.
• Family & Divorce — divorce, custody, support and protection-from-abuse matters.
• Immigration — visas, family petitions and removal defense, with hearings before Philadelphia's federal immigration court.
• Workers' Compensation — job-injury claims under Pennsylvania's system administered by the Bureau of Workers' Compensation.
• Medical Malpractice — claims against the city's large hospital and health systems.
• Real Estate — closings, landlord-tenant disputes and zoning matters in a dense urban market.

How to choose a lawyer in Philadelphia

Confirm the attorney's status through the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania's online attorney search, which shows active status and any public discipline statewide. Membership in the Pennsylvania Bar Association is voluntary and not the same as a license.

Ask how often the firm appears in Philadelphia's courts for cases like yours, and who at the firm will handle your file directly. Clarify the fee arrangement before you sign — contingency for most injury cases, hourly or flat fee for family, criminal and business matters are all common in the city — and get it in writing.

Free and low-cost help

PALawHelp.org can direct Philadelphia residents to the legal aid program serving the city, and the Philadelphia Bar Association runs a lawyer referral service that connects callers with a private attorney for a short consultation. Law schools in the city, including Temple, Penn and Drexel, operate clinics staffed by supervised students, and the First Judicial District publishes forms for people representing themselves.

For a closer look, see personal injury lawyers in Philadelphia, or compare with lawyers in Media.

See also Lawyers in Pennsylvania for the rest of the state.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws change and every case is different — talk to a licensed Pennsylvania attorney about your situation.