Supreme Court to try online lottery for public to sit inside courtroom

The Supreme Court will begin a lottery for the public to get seats inside the courtroom for oral arguments in upcoming legal battles in the new year, the high court announced Thursday.

The new public seating program will begin in February. It will be an online, automated lottery that the high court is implementing as a pilot program.

If a member of the public gets a ticket through the online lottery, the individual can attend an argument or have access inside the courtroom for that day. Oral arguments for February begin on the 24th of that month. 

The lottery can be accessed on the court’s website. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Eastern time four weeks before the day or argument that the person wishes to attend.

An applicant will be notified three weeks in advance by email if he or she has a seat or is on a waiting list.

Some seating for first come, first served will be available for the public, the high court noted. 

For major cases in the past, the public has lined up along the public sidewalk in front of the court and even camped out overnight with hopes of getting a seat.