Joining the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court.

• Author: Glazer, Eric M.

If you have ever dreamed of appearing before the U.S. Supreme Court but thought you would never have the opportunity, think again. Being a member in good standing of The Florida Bar for a three-year period automatically entitles you to admission to the Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court. If you choose to be admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar in person, the experience is thrilling and will last a lifetime.

Recently, a fellow attorney suggested that we join him as a member of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar and offered to sponsor us. We coordinated our schedules and agreed to meet in the nation's Capitol on the third Monday in October. Arriving at the Supreme Court at 8:30 a.m., we were met by the administrative clerk of the Court who gave us detailed instructions for what was to follow. The attorney who motioned the Court for our admission was given a pre-printed motion to read to the, entire Supreme Court, requesting that the Court admit us as members of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar. The instructions on the sheet clearly indicate that if he deviated from the speech in any way, Chief Justice Rehnquist may reserve ruling on the motion.

Upon passing through the metal detectors and abundant questioning by Court security, we were led into large, beautiful anterooms lined with original portraits of former justices. Court security escorted us in a highly organized fashion into the main courtroom. The experience of walking into the Supreme Court Courtroom for the first time is overwhelming. We couldn't help but think that this is the very courtroom where Clarence Gideon, Jane Roe, and, of course, Mrs. Palsgraf made history. Attorneys seeking admission were seated closest to the bench.

At about 9:30 a.m., the clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court, William K. Suter, addressed both the applicants and the movants, giving specific and detailed instructions as to when to sit, when to stand, when to speak, and when to remain silent. Mr. Suter then informed us that apart from group admissions, only approximately 79 individual attorneys are admitted to the Supreme Court Bar in open court each year.

At 9:59 a.m., the audience watched the second hand on the clock located high above the center of the bench approach the top of the hour. Precisely at 10 a.m. a buzzer sounded, Mr. Suter yelled, "All rise," and the entire nine-member panel of the U.S. Supreme Court took their seats on the bench. It was at that very moment that we knew we did the right thing by requesting...