William Peterson, an associate at Beck Redden in Houston, was not expecting a phone call from a U.S. Supreme Court justice. But there was Justice Antonin Scalia on the line, asking Peterson in January whether he would be interested in arguing a case before the court a few months hence.

Peterson said yes, and on April 29, the final day of oral argument this term, he argued in the immigration case Mata v. Lynch.

“It was absolutely a bolt out of the blue,” Peterson said. Asked if he was surprised to receive the call from Scalia, Peterson said, “Most lawyers would be.”