# Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure — oral argument

Updated October 27, 2026

Ordinary United States Courts of Appeals only. December 1, 2024 compilation; dated source baseline, not certification of all later amendments or circuit-specific local rules. Excludes CAAF and administrative boards. Shared baseline only, not a judge-specific preference or complete local rules inventory. Apply source exceptions, case-type limits, later amendments and case orders.

Published/source-supported dates retained; no claim that later amendments were exhaustively checked.

[Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/2025-02/federal-rules-of-appellate-procedure-dec-1-2024_0.pdf) · Collected 2026-10-27

## Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure — oral argument

(b) Notice of Argument; Postponement. The clerk must advise all parties whether oral argument will be scheduled, and, if so, the date, time, and place for it, and the time allowed for each side. A motion to postpone the argument or to allow longer argument must be filed reasonably in advance of the hearing date. (c) Order and Contents of Argument. The appellant opens and concludes the argument. Counsel must not read at length from briefs, records, or authorities.

Ordinary United States Courts of Appeals only. December 1, 2024 compilation; dated source baseline, not certification of all later amendments or circuit-specific local rules. Excludes CAAF and administrative boards. Shared baseline only, not a judge-specific preference or complete local rules inventory. Apply source exceptions, case-type limits, later amendments and case orders.