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Members of the public who want to attend oral arguments at the Supreme Court can now apply through an online lottery to obtain advance reservations for seats at those arguments. The Supreme Court announced in a press release on Thursday afternoon that it has launched a pilot lottery program, beginning with seats for the court’s February 2025 argument session.
The courtroom at the Supreme Court holds over 400 people, but relatively few of those seats (sometimes as few as 50) are set aside for members of the general public. On days when the justices are hearing arguments in high-profile cases – like last week’s argument in United States v. Skrmetti, the challenge to Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors – many people will spend hours in line or even camp out overnight in the hope of being able to watch the oral arguments in person.
Under the new pilot program, anyone who wants to attend a specific oral argument can enter an online lottery through the court’s website. The lottery will close approximately four weeks before the argument, and the court will notify entrants about the outcome of the lottery three weeks before the argument session begins.
The court did not indicate how many seats will be available through the lottery. Some seats will continue to be available for the public on the day of the argument, on a first-come, first-served basis, the court said.
Seating for members of the Supreme Court bar – lawyers who are admitted to practice before the court, and who have access to separate seats at the front of the courtroom – will also remain available on a first-come, first-served basis during the pilot program.
This article was originally published at Howe on the Court.
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