The debate over the value of oral argument is a legal constant. While no one questions the importance of the brief as a tool of persuasion and advocacy, oral argument has a history of mixed reviews. Antagonists claim that if you cannot say it clearly and cogently in writing, a verbal presentation will add little, and it certainly will not carry the day, especially in the face of a dominant bench; on the other hand, protagonists champion the chance to be heard, and insist on its significance in close cases.