There are a lot of interesting tidbits in this National Law Journal piece about telephonic oral arguments at the D.C. Circuit. Judges were dropped from the call during presentations, weird noises dominated the line, and they’ve already switched around the technical setup a day in.
But really the only thing that matters is the kicker Jacqueline Thomsen chose to end the piece that puts the disaster that is this whole affair into sharp relief:
The technical difficulties in Friday’s proceedings didn’t end up with the arguments: Afterward, Rogers began to ask the other judges on the line if they wanted to set up a conference call.
But an electronic voice broke in, and cut off the judge. “We’re sorry, your conference is ending now,” the voice said. “Please hang up.”
We’re all going to die.
‘It’s Kind of a Mess’: Phone Arguments Get Rocky Debut at DC Circuit During COVID-19 Pandemic [National Law Journal]
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.