 In 2004, he was appointed by the [[Supreme Court of Pennsylvania]] to the "Commission for Justice Initiatives in Pennsylvania" (CJI), a committee organized to coordinate and recommend judicial outreach and specialized court programs.He was the Chair of the Public Education and Community Outreach subcommittee of the Commission.As part of his responsibilities for the CJI, Judge Panella conceived and wrote a popular short film on the history and operation of the Pennsylvania Judiciary.