Bernard L. McGinley at a glance
- Current role
- Judge
- Current assignment
- Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
- Jurisdiction
- Pennsylvania · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Bernard L. McGinley
Biography
Professional career
- Judge, Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2008-present
- American judge who served on the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court from 1988 until his retirement in 2016, and earlier as a judge of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas
- Judge, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court (1988–2016), elected in 1987 and retained in 2007
- In 1981, McGinley was elected as a judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County in 1981
- From 1975 to 1981, McGinley was engaged in private law practice, and also chaired the Board of Viewers for Allegheny County from 1975 to 1980
- He also completed Basic Officer Training at Brooke Army Medical Center in 1971 and was honorably discharged as a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserve, Medical Service Corps in 1976
- Assistant District Attorney for Allegheny County from 1971 to 1974
- McGinley’s career spanned public prosecution, private practice, trial court service, and appellate judicial work
- Law clerk for Judge Robert A. Doyle, Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas
Education
- University of Pittsburgh School of Law in — J.D. (1970)
- John Carroll University in — B.A. (1967)
Additional information
- After serving as a member of the Court of Common Pleas for 28 years, McGinley retired in 2016.
- Elected to a 10-year term on the court in November 1987 (effective January 4, 1988), and was retained three times.
- Instructor of criminal law for the Allegheny County Community College from 1974 to 1975.
- Born January 7, 1946.
- Date of birth: 1946-01-07
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Exhibits
Statewide
For Pennsylvania Common Pleas proceedings, statewide Pa.R.J.A. 1910 prohibits courtroom broadcasting, recording, and photography unless an exception or judicial authorization applies; the rule also recognizes judge-authorized electronic or photographic means for evidence presentation.
the use of electronic or photographic means for the presentation of evidence201 Pa. Code Chapter 19, Rule 1910, Broadcasting, Recording and Photography in the Courtroom ↗
Sources
Identity source checked June 30, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 2, 2026.
Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania current judicial profile
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
View Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania current judicial profile ↗201 Pa. Code Chapter 19, Rule 1910, Broadcasting, Recording and Photography in the Courtroom
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View 201 Pa. Code Chapter 19, Rule 1910, Broadcasting, Recording and Photography in the Courtroom ↗