Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the meaning of the word "Oyez"?
A. The OYEZ Project takes its name from the phrase by which the Marshal of the Court calls the courtroom to order. OYEZ is pronounced "o-yay" or "o-yez" or "o-yes." It is used three times in succession to introduce the opening of a court of law. The origin of the word "oyez" is Middle English, from Anglo-Norman, hear ye, the plural imperative of oyer, to hear, which derives from the Latin verb, audire, to hear.
The history of OYEZ is illuminating. "Hearing the cry 'Oyez, oyez, oyez' in a courtroom may have puzzled more than one auditor, especially if pronounced 'o-yes.' This cry serves to remind us that up until the 18th century, speaking English in a British court of law was not required and that one could use Law French, a form of French that evolved after the Norman Conquest, when Anglo-Norman became the language of the official class in England. Oyez descends from the Anglo-Norman oyez, the plural imperative of oyer, 'to hear'; thus oyez means 'hear ye' and was used as a call for silence and attention. Although it would have been much heard in Medieval England, it is first recorded as an English word fairly late in the Middle English period, in a work composed around 1425."
Hear the Marshal of the Supreme Court announce the arrival of the justices
SOURCE: American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
Q. What tools do I need to use materials from The OYEZ Project?
A. The OYEZ Project contains more than 2000 hours of audio materials delivered through a free player available from Real. Simply download and install the free version of the player for your operating system. Of course, you will need a sound capable computer and speakers. The Project also contains dozens of panoramic images of the Supreme Court Building. To view these images in the Tour section, you will need to download and install QuickTime (for Windows or for MacOS). QuickTime is available from Apple Computer. Some audio materials are also available in QuickTime; these will only play if you have installed QuickTime version 4.0 or higher.
Q. How may I contact the justices?
A. The justices do not have published email addresses. You can write to:
Q. I would like to use the audio materials from The OYEZ Project. How do I download the RealAudio files?
A. You cannot download the files. You do not actually download the files in order to listen to them. In fact, the materials are protected by copyright so you cannot copy the audio files in any manner without the prior approval of the Project. However, you can purchase a CD-ROM containing a select set of materials in seventy of the leading cases (100+ hours of audio) from Northwestern University Press. The CD is titled The Supreme Court's Greatest Hits v2.0 and it costs $39.95.
Q. I am looking for a case and I cannot find it in The OYEZ Project?
A. There are many reasons why you may not find a case in The OYEZ Project. The Project provides abstracts and other materials for leading cases in constitutional law decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. If you are interested in a case but it happens to fall outside the domain of constitutional law, you are not going to find it abstracted in The OYEZ Project. But do not give up. If your case was decided after 1893, FindLaw is a good source for the complete opinion. FindLaw is also an excellent source for free law-related information.
The OYEZ Project aims to include all leading constitutional law cases into our database. We have scoured most case- and textbooks in the field to identify the leading cases. If you believe we are missing cases that ought to be included, please contact us with your suggestions.
Q. What is the salary of a Supreme Court justice?
A. The salary of the justices is set by congressional statute and is subject to adjustment from time to time. As of January 1, 2003, the salary of members of the Court is as follows:
Chief Justice - $198,600
Associate Justices - $190,100
Q. Is it possible to attend an actual oral argument at the Supreme Court?
A. Yes. You should determine whether or not the Court will be hearing arguments during the period when you plan to be in Washington DC. The Supreme Court now maintains a website containing the oral argument schedule.
Calendar blurb here...
Q. I would like to read a transcript of the arguments while I am listening to the justices. Where can I find the transcripts?
A. The transcripts are public documents stored in the Supreme Court library and in the National Archives of the United States. The Supreme Court website provides pdf versions of argument transcripts about two weeks following the date of argument. However, the official transcript does not provide the identity of the justices when they speak. We endeavor to make voice-identified transcripts available through the case resources directory.
Q. Sometimes I cannot understand the questions and answers provided by the justices. Is there something wrong with my computer?
A. No. Your computer is probably fine. The problem lies in the original recordings. The justices control their microphones and sometimes they do not turn them on when they ask questions of counsel.
Q. How do I identify the justices when they are speaking?
A. We have implemented a "tuning fork" concept to help in this identification process. You can train yourself to identify unique voice qualities by listening to these short clips. (Admin's note: this is will be available again soon.)
Q. I read in the paper that the Court heard argument in a case recently. Why can't I find the argument on this website?
A. The Supreme Court releases all its audio materials to the National Archives in November following the Term in which cases were argued. The National Archives must accession the audio materials and make copies for use by research archivists. This process takes several months. Then we must acquire copies, digitize them, clean them of marginal "pops and whistles," encode them, and finally store them in our database. Therefore, you can expect to find new audio materials on The OYEZ Project approximately 10 months following the Term in which cases were argued in the Court.
| 
About Oyez
FAQ