Believed to be 1st time court will hear full term outside Springfield

The Supreme Court will convene for its September 2013 Term in the Michael A. Bilandic Building, 160 N. LaSalle Street, Chicago. The first oral arguments are scheduled for Tuesday, September 10 in the 18th floor Courtroom.

Traditionally, the Supreme Court convenes to hear oral arguments in Springfield. It is believed that this is the first time that a full Term of the Court will be held outside the 105-year-old building since it opened in 1908.

Gov. Pat Quinn announced June 6 the release of $12.6 million to rehabilitate the historic Illinois Supreme Court Building in Springfield. During the construction period which began June 17, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Chicago. Rehabilitation is scheduled to be completed at this time next year. The Springfield office of the Supreme Court Clerk and other Springfield Supreme Court staff moved to an interim location at the Herndon Building, 421 East Capitol Avenue in Springfield. Telephone numbers remain the same.

This will not be the first time that the Supreme Court has heard oral arguments outside Springfield. Five years ago, the Supreme Court heard two oral arguments at the Mt. Vernon courthouse as part of events marking the 150th anniversary of the court building and the 2009 bicentennial celebration of Abraham Lincoln's birth. That courthouse was used by the Supreme Court from 1857 until 1897, when the Court was consolidated in Springfield. The Court then met in the current state Capitol building until the Supreme Court Building at its present location opened nine years later.

Seventeen cases are scheduled to be presented before the Court during the month of September. The full list of cases that are scheduled to be argued for the September 2013 Term can be found at http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/SupremeCourt/OralCal/2013/09-13.pdf

Media that wish to video or audio tape the oral arguments must, under Supreme Court Rule 63, fax their request on company letterhead, including case name and number, to Robert Shay, Marshal of the Supreme Court, at 217.557.0539 no later than five business days before the date of the scheduled argument. In the event of more than one media request, pool coverage is required. Oral arguments begin at Attorneys scheduled to appear before the Court for the first four oral arguments must check in at the Supreme Court Clerk satellite office on the 20th floor of the Bilandic Building no later than 9:15 a.m. For other cases scheduled in the afternoon, attorneys must check in at the Clerk's office no later than 10:15 a.m.

Seating in the courtroom is limited. Media who wish to attend are asked to contact Joseph Tybor, director of communications to the Supreme Court, at 312.793.2323.

Following the arguments, the Supreme Court justices will take the cases under advisement and issue their written ruling at a later date.