Des Moines, September 8, 2015– The Iowa Supreme Court today announced its 2015-2016 adjudicative term calendar, including two special evening sessions in Des Moines and four special sessions to hear oral arguments in communities around the state. The court's adjudicative term is from September 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016.
The court will hear special evening sessions of oral arguments in Newton, Harlan, Ames, and Clinton. The evening sessions are scheduled for the convenience of members of the public who wish to attend. Drake University School of Law and the University of Iowa College of Law will also host oral arguments with limited seating for the public. There will be two special evening session in Des Moines, one in the West Des Moines Valley High School Performing Arts Center, November 16, 2015, and the second in the Judicial Branch Building, February 16, 2016. The special sessions are for central Iowa residents who may not have been able to attend the court's regular morning and afternoon sessions.
"The court looks forward to hearing oral arguments at Valley High School this fall," Chief Justice Mark Cady said. "In the past three years, the Iowa Supreme Court has visited 17 communities for evening oral arguments and public receptions. Going forward, we plan to add a central Iowa school to our schedule every fall. It will be one more opportunity for Iowans to learn more about the value of its court system and for the supreme court to learn what members of the community expect from their court system as we continue to build for the future."
The 2015-2016 adjudicative term will also mark the second year the supreme court has live streamed and archived its oral arguments on the Iowa Courts YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL6EU7W8kqDKnKPUzMdxr_g
The court's special sessions schedule:
September 25, 2015
University of Iowa College of Law
10:30 a.m.
October 14, 2015
Newton High School
7:00 p.m.
November 4, 2015
Harlan High School
7:00 p.m.
November 16, 2015
West Des Moines Valley High School
7:00 p.m.
February 16, 2016
Iowa Judicial Branch Building, Des Moines
7:00 p.m.
March 2, 2016
Ames High School
7:00 p.m.
March 31, 2016
Drake University Law School
9:30 a.m.
April 14, 2016
Clinton High School
7:00 p.m.
The court will continue its regular schedule of oral arguments in Des Moines during the adjudicative term. All supreme court oral arguments are open to the public.
Between May, 2011, and April, 2015, the supreme court heard oral arguments in Cedar Rapids, Mason City, Carroll, Council Bluffs, Bettendorf, Ottumwa, Waterloo, Sioux City, Dubuque, Fort Dodge, Burlington, Clarinda, Toledo, Iowa City, Storm Lake, Creston, and Decorah. Coinciding with each visit, the justices met with high school and college government and American history classes.
The court's complete calendar for its 2015-2016 term is on the Iowa Judicial Branch website at http://www.iowacourts.gov/wfData/files/Calendar/2015-16%20web%20calendar%20sept%208.pdf
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