Over her more than 17 years on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Judge Nina Wright Padilla has handled just about every type of case that can be filed, from domestic relations disputes to class actions. On April 12, she became supervising judge of the city's Commerce Court, taking over from Judge Gary Glazer and becoming the first Black woman to hold the role.

The Legal recently spoke with Wright Padilla about her new position, how the business-focused court used remote conferencing technology to stave off a backlog despite the pandemic and why small businesses are the heart and soul of the city.