Schedule The Fifth Circuit hears oral argument at regularly scheduled sessions in New Orleans, Louisiana, and on occasion in other cities throughout the circuit including Austin, Fort Worth, Houston, Jackson, and San Antonio.
The calendar of cases to be argued at each session is posted five weeks in advance. Interested persons can subscribe to receive notice of the calendar and its updates via RSS feed. Court and Special Hearings Calendars
Courthouse
The courthouse doors open at 8:00 a.m. on argument days. Visitors must show photo identification and pass through security screening. Attorneys and their staff may bring electronic devices into the courthouse. All electronic devices must be turned off in the courtroom unless being used by counsel, with all sounds muted, during argument of their case to retrieve documents previously downloaded to the device. A wireless Internet access point is available in the library for use with personal electronic devices (Room 106 – see librarian for password). Fifth Circuit Rule 34.7 provides that no cameras, tape recorders, or other equipment designed for the recording or transmission of visual images or sound may be present during oral argument. All visitors attending oral arguments must turn off cell phones, laptop computers, and similar electronic devices when in the courtroom. You may not blog, tweet, or otherwise transmit contemporaneous or live transcription or observations from the courtroom.
Food and beverages may not be brought into the courtrooms. New Orleans 5th Circuit Library Visitor's Guide Directions to John Minor Wisdom Court of Appeals Building Court Policy on Electronic Devices Courtroom Seating
Public seating in the courtrooms is on a first-come, first-seated basis, and the amount of gallery seating in each courtroom varies widely.
East Courtroom, Second Floor, Room 223 En Banc Courtroom, Second Floor, Room 209 West Courtroom, Second Floor, Room 265
Argument Times
Oral arguments start at 9:00 a.m. each day for morning panels and at 1:00 p.m. for afternoon panels. Assisted listening devices and other auxiliary aids and services necessary to accommodate communication disabilities can be provided to attorneys for oral argument. Please contact the Courtroom Deputy at (504) 310-7804 in advance of the argument date if you need hearing assistance or any other accommodation.
Each side generally has 20 minutes of argument time, for a total of 40 minutes of argument time per case. Appellants argue first and may reserve five minutes of their time for rebuttal following Appellee’s argument.
Counsel in the first case should seat themselves at counsel table before court starts. Only attorneys may sit at counsel table; clients should be seated in the audience.
Only attorneys admitted to the Fifth Circuit Bar and who have filed an appearance form in the case may present oral argument. Application & Oath for Admission Form for Appearance of Counsel
Panels
Three to five argument panels may sit each day the court is in session. Cases are randomly assigned to oral argument panels, and the identity of the assigned panel is released one week prior to courtweek. Cases
The court initially schedules five cases per day before each panel, but changes may occur in the number and order of cases up until the time of argument. Initial notice and calendar updates are available via RSS feed.
Fifth Circuit oral argument audio files in MP3 format are posted on the court's internet site after 5:00pm on the day of oral argument. Oral Argument Recordings Groups
Groups planning to attend oral argument are encouraged to contact the Court at (504) 310-7630 for assistance in coordinating their visit. Group / Visitor Information
Media
Media interviews and public gatherings must be conducted off the courthouse property and courthouse steps and must not impede public access to the courthouse. Press Information High Profile Cases
The court will post a Media Advisory on its News & Announcements page whenever additional arrangements are made for argument in high profile cases.
Notice for Cases of Interest