The Pennsylvania AO 85 Notice, Consent, and Reference of a Civil Action to a Magistrate Judge is a document that is used by parties in a civil case in Pennsylvania to refer the case to a magistrate judge. This document is filed with the Clerk of Court and provides notice to the parties of the referral and their consent to the magistrate judge’s jurisdiction. The Pennsylvania AO 85 Notice also references the relevant civil procedure rules that pertain to the case and the magistrate judge’s authority. There are two types of Pennsylvania AO 85 Notice, Consent, and Reference of a Civil Action to a Magistrate Judge: voluntary and mandatory. In the voluntary version, the parties agree to refer the case to a magistrate judge for a settlement conference. In the mandatory version, the case is referred to the magistrate judge for further proceedings. Both types of Pennsylvania AO 85 Notice must be signed by the parties and filed with the Clerk of Court.