In a move aimed at increasing public access, the Supreme Court has introduced an online lottery system for courtroom seating. This system, announced on Thursday, allows people to bypass the traditional line and secure a spot inside the courtroom.
Beginning in late February, the lottery will allocate seats for both oral arguments and sessions where decisions on previously heard cases are disclosed. However, the court has not specified the number of seats available through this new system. The courtroom has a capacity of approximately 400, but typically, only a limited number of seats are designated for the public.
For more prominent cases, eager attendees often start lining up days in advance. Despite the new system, traditional line seating will still be available for those willing to wait.
Individuals interested in attending can request up to four seats and will receive email notifications roughly three weeks prior to the session. Applications for forthcoming sessions will be accessible soon after the release of the next monthly arguments calendar.
For those unable to attend in person, the court offers live audio streaming of its proceedings. This practice began when the pandemic forced the courthouse to close in March 2020, leading justices to conduct arguments remotely. The Supreme Court has continued to provide livestreams even after resuming in-person hearings and reopening to the public in 2022.
