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Oral Arguments


Note: The Court will hear all scheduled oral arguments for the Term in the Courtroom. Seating for the oral argument sessions will be provided to the public, members of the Supreme Court Bar, and press. The three-minute line is temporarily suspended. The Supreme Court Building will otherwise be closed to the public on days when the Court is in session.

On days when the Court is not in session, the building will be open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., excluding weekends and federal holidays. Courtroom lectures are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Please refer to the 30-day rolling calendar for available lectures. Visitors may view ground floor exhibits and portions of the first floor on a self-guided basis. The cafeteria and gift shop are open to the public.


The Court holds oral argument in about 70-80 cases each year. The arguments are an opportunity for the Justices to ask questions directly of the attorneys representing the parties to the case, and for the attorneys to highlight arguments that they view as particularly important. Arguments are generally scheduled on specified Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings beginning on the first Monday in October, and continuing through the end of April. Typically, the Court holds two arguments each day beginning at 10:00 a.m., each lasting one hour. The days on which arguments are held are identified on the Court’s yearly calendar. The specific cases to be argued each day, and the attorneys scheduled to argue them, are identified on hearing lists for each session and on the day call for each argument session. Courtroom seating is available to the public on a first-come, first seated basis.

On the afternoon of each argument, the Court posts transcripts of that day’s arguments. On the Friday of each argument week, the Court also makes the audio of the week’s arguments available.


Visitor’s Guide to Oral Argument

Availability of Oral Argument Transcripts




 

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