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Minnesota Supreme Court to Hold Oral Arguments at Rock Ridge High School

Posted: Tuesday, September 10, 2024

The Minnesota Supreme Court will hear oral arguments at Rock Ridge High School at 10 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 3, as part of a longstanding outreach program that teaches students about Minnesota’s judicial system.

The Court will hear arguments in State of Minnesota v. Hames TrifIvan Contreras-Sanchez, after which the justices will answer student questions. In the afternoon, justices will have lunch with student representatives and visit classrooms for one-on-one education sessions.

“The Supreme Court Traveling Oral Arguments program is one of the highlights of the year for justices—we love meeting students and introducing them to how the Court works,” said Minnesota Chief Justice Natalie Hudson. “The students always have excellent questions about the court system and often impress us with their insight.”

The Traveling Oral Arguments school program is open only to students and faculty at Rock Ridge High School. However, the event will be livestreamed on the Supreme Court webpage. The livestream will open 30 minutes prior to the start of oral arguments.

As part of its visit to the Iron Range, the Supreme Court will join local judges and the community in a dinner in the ballroom at the Fortune Bay Resort at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2. The dinner is open to the public and will feature remarks by the justices and a buffet dinner. Tickets can be purchased online for $25 through Noon on Monday, Sept. 23. Tickets will not be available at the door.

“We encourage members of the community—especially parents and students—to join us for the community dinner,” Chief Justice Hudson added. “It’s a good way to get to know us in an informal setting, ask questions, and just enjoy each other’s company.”


The Minnesota Supreme Court Traveling Oral Arguments program began in 1995 to educate students and build public trust, confidence, and understanding of the judiciary. The Court travels to two high schools in Minnesota each year: one in the spring and one in the fall. The fall visit includes a community dinner. The Iron Range event marks the 55th traveling oral arguments event for the Court.