Supreme Court Pulls Off Historic First (With a Few Pauses, and 'Sorry, Chief')
Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. directed the arguments from the U.S. Supreme Court building, which has remained closed to the public for weeks amid the pandemic.
May 04, 2020 at 02:35 PM
6 minute read
The original version of this story was published on National Law Journal
The U.S. Supreme Court's historic telephonic arguments moved swiftly and orderly Monday, with the chief justice serving two roles as timekeeper and traffic cop and the lawyers and justices engaging in a lively back-and-forth that was devoid of any lasting technical glitches and long pauses.
The argument featured references to the COVID-19 hunt for toilet paper and groceries, and even included rare inquiries from Justice Clarence Thomas, who does not regularly ask questions at oral argument.
The justices chose a relatively straightforward trademark registration challenge as the first case in their historic break with argument tradition, a move forced by the virus pandemic. By the end of 77 minutes, just 17 minutes over the allotted time, "the sky didn't fall," one court watcher remarked.
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