The D.C. Court of Appeals announced plans Tuesday to cut down oral argument time to help speed up its caseload.
The court described its plan as a "pilot project." Arguments on the regular calendar will now be scheduled for 15 minutes per side, down from 30. The judges may lengthen those times when they see fit. Requests for argument on the summary calendars will also no longer be made through the clerk’s office. Rather, lawyers will have to file a motion demonstrating "good cause."
"The court requests the cooperation of counsel during the pilot project, and takes this opportunity to remind counsel that the judges will have read the briefs prior to oral argument," the announcement said.
Chief Judge Eric Washington has previously suggested reducing argument times as part of his plan to cut down on the court’s backlog of old cases. The Judge was not available for comment.
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