Oral Arguments before the Supreme Court: The Supreme Court of Maryland will hear live oral arguments on October 2, 2023 and October 5, 2023. The oral arguments webcasts begin at 10:00 a.m. and are livestreamed on the Court's webcast page.
Posthumous Bar Admission Ceremony for Edward Garrison Draper: The Supreme Court of Maryland will hold a Special Session on Thursday, October 26, 2023, at 3:00 p.m., for the posthumous bar admission of Edward Garrison Draper, the earliest known individual found fully qualified to practice law in Maryland, but who was denied the privilege of doing so based on his race. For more information, please read the Judiciary's press release about the Special Session here. The special session will be livestreamed on the Court's webcast page.
Open Meeting: The Supreme Court will hold an open meeting to consider the 218th and 219th Reports of the Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure on November 2, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. This meeting will be livestreamed on the Court's webcast page. For more information regarding the meeting, including the deadline for written comments, please see the Notice.
Request for Comments on Mandatory CLE Report: The Supreme Court of Maryland is soliciting input concerning a recommendation to adopt a mandatory CLE requirement for Maryland Attorneys. Please go to this page to find a copy of the report and recommendations. Feedback and comments can be sent to CLEfeedback@mdcourts.gov.
Highlighted Cases: For information regarding Adnan Syed v. Young Lee, as Victim's Representative, and State of Maryland, Case No. 7, September Term, 2023 and other recent cases of interest please visit our highlighted cases page.
Administration of the Attorney Oath: The Attorney Oath will be administered by Zoom from the Supreme Court Courtroom on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, and Monday, October 23, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.
For more information, please refer to the March 29, 2022, Third Amended Administrative Order on Administration of the Attorney Oath.
The Supreme Court of Maryland is the State of Maryland’s highest court. The Supreme Court hears cases primarily by way of certiorari, a process that gives the Court discretion to hear appeals where it concludes that doing so is desirable and in the public interest. A party or parties seeking review by the Supreme Court file a “petition for writ of certiorari” asking the Court to hear specific questions presented by the case. If the Court grants a writ of certiorari, parties will then file briefs addressing the questions presented by the petition or the questions approved by the Court for review. In addition to its discretionary jurisdiction, the Court considers cases involving legislative redistricting, attorney discipline, and certified questions of law. The Court also establishes the rules of practice and procedure for cases filed in all Maryland’s Courts.
The Supreme Court consists of seven Justices. Each of the seven active Justices is appointed from one of the State’s seven appellate circuits. All seven Justices sit together to consider petitions for writ of certiorari and cases on the Court’s regular docket.
The Supreme Court is assisted in its work by senior judges and senior justices who sit for one or more of the Justices if they are recused from cases on the Court’s regular docket.
The Clerk of the Supreme Court and the Clerk’s Office Staff keep the appellate record and maintain the records of the Court. All papers submitted for consideration by the Court are filed with the Clerk.