Oral Arguments before the Supreme Court: On Monday, December 9, 2024, and Tuesday, December 10, 2024, the Supreme Court of Maryland will hold in-person oral arguments from the Supreme Court courtroom. Oral arguments will commence at 10:00 a.m. The oral arguments will be livestreamed on the Court's webcast page.
Open Meeting on Mandatory CLE: On Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 9:00 a.m., the Supreme Court will hold an online meeting for the purpose of discussing whether the Court should continue to explore the possibility of mandatory CLE in Maryland. The meeting is a continuation of the Court’s discussion that occurred in a similar format on March 27, 2024. No public comments will be taken at this meeting. The meeting will be livestreamed on the Court's webcast page.
Background: On June 16, 2023, the Workgroup to Study Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) in Maryland presented its final report and recommendations to the Supreme Court. The Court then solicited written comments on the report and held a public forum to receive further public input on the report. In March 2024, the Court held an online meeting to discuss implementation of MCLE and decided to continue consideration of the report and recommendations. For further information on the report and recommendations, please go to this page.
December 2024 Bar Admissions: Congratulations to those who passed the July 2024 Bar Exam. Information regarding your next steps in becoming a Maryland attorney is available here. This includes information about the bar admissions ceremonies which will be held December 3 and 5, 2024. The ceremonies will be livestreamed on the Court's webcast pageand on the Bar Admissions Webcast page.
Administration of the Attorney Oath: The Attorney Oath will be administered by Zoom from the Supreme Court Courtroom on Monday, December 16, 2024, 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.