Attending/Viewing Oral Arguments

The Supreme Court hears oral arguments during the first two weeks of each month from September through June. Week one oral arguments occur in the courtroom on the 2nd floor of the State Capitol. Week two arguments occur in Courtroom 300 on the 3rd floor of the Minnesota Judicial Center.

The Supreme Court typically hears oral arguments at the Capitol during the first week of each month, excluding July and August. Presently, all oral arguments are being heard at the Capitol. Please view the Supreme Court Calendar for more information.

The State Capitol Courtroom has limited seating; there are approximately 36 seats in the courtroom and this includes seating for attorneys involved in oral arguments and their clients. Seating is first-come, first-serve. Visitors must sit in the audience area of the courtroom. Standing is prohibited during oral arguments. Spectators may only leave or enter the courtroom during times when the attorneys are approaching or leaving the podium.

Please note that visitors to the courtroom are required to pass through screening to enter and are not permitted to enter with bags larger than 4.5" X 6.5" X 3".

If you have a group interested in viewing oral arguments, please contact Lissa Finne in the Court Information Office.

Overflow seating may also be arranged across the street from the Capitol at the Minnesota Judicial Center.

The Supreme Court hears oral arguments at the Minnesota Judicial Center during the second week of each month, excluding July and August. Please view the Supreme Court Calendar for more information.

Please note that beginning January 1, 2022, all visitors to the Minnesota Judicial Center will be required to pass through security screening.

If you have a group interested in viewing oral arguments, please contact Lissa Finne in the Court Information Office.

Effective Aug. 28, 2017, all Supreme Court oral arguments held in both the Minnesota State Capitol Courtroom and the Supreme Court’s courtroom in the Minnesota Judicial Center are streamed live, and are accessible through this page. Upcoming live streams are announced on the page in advance, and a button to go to each live stream appears 30 minutes prior to each oral argument, or each set of oral arguments being heard on any given day.

After each live stream, the webcast recordings are available in a searchable, online database of archived Supreme Court oral arguments, which allows users to access all recorded oral arguments from September 2005 to the present.

Please help us maintain decorum.

Issues of statewide importance are decided based on oral arguments. Therefore, it is critical that the justices and attorneys work without distraction. Please consider the following guidelines while in court:

Sit in the audience area of the courtroom. Standing is prohibited during oral arguments.
Spectators may only leave or enter the courtroom durings times when the attorneys are approaching or leaving the podium.
Remain silent during the proceedings.
You may not eat, drink, chew gum or use tobacco in the courtroom.
Remove hats before entering the courtroom.
No demonstrations are allowed, including signs, banners, or displays of symbols.
Electronic recording devices are prohibited, except when permission is given to the media
Turn off all cell phones before entering the courtroom.

More information on Oral Arguments »

Marshal calls court to order; audience stands. During oral arguments, the marshal, along with security, maintain courtroom decorum.
Justices enter the courtroom. Prior to oral arguments the justices prepare by reading “briefs,” which are documents submitted to the Court by the parties involved. Briefs explain the legal questions and points of view that the attorneys will argue. The justices are seated in order of seniority, with the Chief Justice in the middle of the bench.
Appellant’s attorney argues the case. The attorney representing the appealing party answers justices’ questions about his/her legal argument. Thirty-five minutes are allotted.
Respondent’s attorney argues and answers justices’ questions. Twenty-five minutes are allotted.
Rebuttal by appellant’s attorney. Typically, the appellant’s attorney reserves five minutes of his/her total time to respond to the opposing party’s arguments.
Justices conference the case. One justice is randomly assigned to draft the Court’s “opinion” or decision, which is discussed during the conference.
Justices draft and revise the Court’s opinion. The draft is circulated among all seven justices to review and revise. They may also write a “concurring opinion” – agreeing with the decision but for different reasons – or a “dissenting opinion” – disagreeing with the majority opinion.
Opinion filed with the Clerk of the Appellate Courts, released to the parties and the public via the Judicial Branch web site, www.mncourts.gov.

Supreme Court