Minnesota Supreme Court justices cordially invite the public to an informal dinner with them on Tuesday, Oct. 7, at Torey’s Restaurant & Bar in Owatonna.
The public dinner is being held in conjunction with the court’s visit to Owatonna High School for its Traveling Oral Arguments program. The dinner allows community members to get to know Supreme Court justices and Third Judicial District Judges in a relaxed setting. Members of the court will be seated alongside community members, who are free to ask questions. There is a short program following dinner.
“The community dinner is a wonderful opportunity for people to get to know their Supreme Court,” said Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson. “All of us on the court particularly enjoy this dinner because it gives us a chance to meet the people we serve in an informal setting.”
Dinner tickets cost $25 plus tax, which covers the cost of the meal. Tickets can be purchased online through Noon on Oct.1. Tickets will not be available at the door.
The community dinner is part of the Supreme Court’s Traveling Oral Arguments program, which teaches students about Minnesota’s judicial system.
The court will hear arguments in the auditorium at Owatonna High School at 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 8. After oral arguments, justices will have lunch with student representatives and visit classrooms for one-on-one education sessions.
“We truly enjoy visiting Minnesota high schools and introducing students to how the Court works,” said Minnesota Chief Justice Natalie Hudson. “These visits are the highlights of our year because we get to interact with students one-on-one and answer their very insightful questions about what we do—and whether they might someday want to do this, too.”
The Traveling Oral Arguments school program is open only to students and faculty at Owatonna High School, but the event will be livestreamed.
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 Owatonna event marks the 57th traveling oral arguments event for the court.