In a recent SCOTUSBlog installment, legal scholar Josh Blackman proposed that the U.S. Supreme Court hold oral arguments outside the Washington, D.C. beltway. The idea is for the justices to travel to federal courts of appeals courthouses across the United States, allowing them to engage with different regions firsthand.

Potential venues include the courthouses of the 1st Circuit in Boston, the 2nd Circuit in Manhattan, the 3rd Circuit in Philadelphia, the 4th Circuit in Richmond, the 5th Circuit in New Orleans, the 6th Circuit in Cincinnati, and the 9th Circuit primarily in San Francisco. These locations span New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the South, the Deep South, the Midwest, and the West.

Blackman noted that all these courthouses have facilities capable of seating the nine Supreme Court justices. He referenced Justice Antonin Scalia's description of the "vast expanse in-between" these regions, emphasizing the geographic diversity the Court could experience by adopting this approach. Blackman expressed confidence that there would be bipartisan support for such a move to bring the Court closer to the American public.

This proposal aims to decentralize Supreme Court proceedings and foster greater national engagement with the judiciary.

Sources

  • Josh Blackman, "New In SCOTUSBlog: The court should hold oral argument outside of the capital," Reason, August 11, 2026. Read more