Supreme Court returning to the courtroom, in-person arguments

The Supreme Court announced Wednesday the justices will return to the courtroom in October to hear oral arguments after having closed the court amid the coronavirus pandemic last year and allowing the justices to work remotely.

The justices will return from summer recess and hear arguments from lawyers in the marble courtroom. They also will have in-person arguments in November and December, according to the court’s press release.

The courtroom will not be fully open to the public, though. Only the justices, courtroom staff, lawyers and journalists with full-time court passes have access to the courtroom.

The building still remains closed to the public.

“The Court will continue to closely monitor public health guidance in determining plans,” reads the press release.

There will be live audio of oral arguments in October, November and December for the public.

The justices last sat together for oral arguments in person in March 2020.

The court’s makeup has changed since then with the death of the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg last September. She was replaced by Justice Amy Coney Barrett in November.

When the court returns Oct. 4 to hear its first case of the term, it will be the first time Justice Barrett will be seated on the bench, having only heard cases by telephone up until this point.

Since the pandemic, the justices heard arguments by telephone and broadcasted the audio live for the public.

When hearing cases remotely, the justices took turns asking questions, each having been given a set amount of time to quiz the lawyers on both sides of the case.

But when the oral arguments take place inside the courtroom, the justices often fight for time to pose their questions within the traditional one-hour hearing, at times speaking over or directly to one another.

The justices heard 68 oral arguments remotely during the pandemic, according to The Associated Press.

The high court announced in March that all the justices had received COVID-19 vaccinations and were meeting in person for their weekly conference, which is closed to the public and the press.

• This story is based in part on wire service reports.