When I was practicing law, I sat in on many arguments before the United States Supreme Court, argued several appellate cases as an advocate before federal courts of appeals, and served as a judge in many law school moot courts, from Harvard to George Washington. What an enormous difference it must make to the lawyers before
the Roberts court, that the justices of the Supreme Court now allow counsel three or four minutes to make an opening presentation. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, recently retired, used to interrupt counsel with questions seconds after they started their arguments, and the other justices would pile right on. Linda Greenhouse reports on the more civil Roberts court today in The New York Times, "In the Roberts Court, More Room for Argument." here.
