Rule 225.Summing Up.
Adopted September 8, 1938 · Last amended April 29, 2016 · Last verified June 30, 2026
Full Text of Rule 225
Plain-English Summary
This rule secures counsel’s right to speak to the jury at both ends of the trial — an opening address before the evidence and a summation after the testimony is in.
It confers the right rather than the details: as the Official Note explains, the trial court may regulate the number, length, and order of these addresses by local rule or otherwise. The right to sum up matters because closing argument is where a lawyer ties the evidence together and asks the jury for a verdict.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do attorneys get opening and closing arguments?
Yes. Attorneys for each party or group of parties may make an opening address to the jury and a closing address after the close of the testimony.
Official Note
Official Note: Rule 225 merely confers the right to make addresses to the jury as stated therein. The trial court by local rule or otherwise may regulate the number, length, and order of addresses. See Rule 223(3).
Amendment History
The provisions of this Rule 225 adopted September 8, 1938, effective March 20, 1939; amended April 29, 2016, effective immediately, 46 Pa.B. 2409. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (380176).