Court Schedule

Scheduling Generally

Ordinarily, cases are assigned to successive sessions of the Court after the appellee’s brief has been filed or the time for filing the appellee’s brief has expired.

The Court may schedule a case for oral argument or the Court may direct that the case be submitted on the briefs filed.

Scheduling for Oral Argument

If you are requesting oral argument, you must state so in your brief. Md. Rule 8-504(a)(8)

Requesting oral argument does not guarantee that the Court will schedule the case for oral argument. The Court may still direct that the case be submitted on the briefs filed. Md. Rule 8-523(b).

If your case is going to be scheduled for oral argument, within approximately three weeks after the receipt of the appellee’s brief (or after the time for appellee to file a brief has expired), you will receive a notice from the Clerk of the possible oral argument dates. By the date indicated on the notice, you must notify the Clerk whether you have conflicts with the possible oral argument dates.

Counsel are encouraged to file a joint response to the request for date conflicts.

If Counsel are available for fewer than four of the proposed dates, the Court may, without additional notice, direct that the case be submitted on the briefs filed or reschedule the case to a later session month.

Submission on Briefs

If your case is not scheduled for oral argument, it will be submitted on brief – which means that the assigned Panel will consider the case based on the arguments presented in the briefs.

Expedited Appeals

Pursuant to Maryland Rule 8-207(a), appeals from certain judgments and orders are expedited:

1. Granting or denying a petition for:
   1. Adoption
   2. Guardianship terminating parental rights
   3. Guardian of the person of a minor or disabled person
   4. To declare a child is a child in need of assistance
2. Granting, denying, or establishing custody of or visitation with a minor child
3. An interlocutory order pursuant to Courts & Judicial Proceedings 12-303(3)(x)
4. A judgment or other appealable order granting or denying a petition or motion for an order containing findings or determinations of fact necessary to a grant of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status by the Secretary of Homeland Security or other authorized federal agency or official.

Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, these appeals will be scheduled in a session that is within 120 days from when the circuit court record is transmitted to the Court.

Because of this expedited scheduling track, the Court must often prepare the schedule before the parties’ briefs are due and, therefore, before receiving the parties’ statements (in their briefs) as to whether they request oral argument. As a result, the Court may direct that the case be submitted on brief or the Court may direct the Clerk to issue a request that the attorneys and parties respond and state (1) whether they are requesting oral argument and, if so, (2) whether they have conflicts with the potential oral argument dates.

NOTE: Although every effort is made to ensure that the following information is up-to-date, last minute changes to the schedule may be required. To confirm information listed on this schedule, please contact the Clerk's Office at 410-260-1450.