This week marked the U.S. Supreme Court's first-ever telephonic arguments—a historic moment for court watchers and a somewhat stressful one for advocates navigating the new system.

David Bowker

On this Legal Speak podcast, Supreme Court correspondent Marcia Coyle checks in with Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr partner David Bowker, whose May 5 argument in USAID v Alliance for Open Society International was one of the first to proceed by telephone.

Bowker says responding to the justices, who ask their questions in order of seniority, was like facing "nine pitchers one after another."

And while there weren't any toilet flushes, Bowker did have to worry about leaf blowers, fire alarms and communicating with his team across different locations. On the podcast, he discusses some of the unexpected challenges and shares advice for lawyers with cases on the docket.

Listen to the podcast above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify or Libsyn.