Kansas Supreme Court - Special Session

Eisenhower Presidential Library
Abilene, KS

The Kansas Supreme Court will conduct a special evening session March 10 in Abilene as part of its ongoing outreach to familiarize Kansans with the high court, its work, and the overall role of the Kansas judiciary.
 
The court will be in session from 6:30 p.m. to about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, 200 SE 4th Street, Abilene.
 
The public is invited to attend the special session to observe the court as it hears oral argument in one case. After oral argument, the justices will greet the public in an informal reception.
 
Chief Justice Eric Rosen said bringing appellate cases to the public gives Kansans a front-row seat to a part of the court system they may have never witnessed.
 
“Oral arguments are a great way to learn how our courts interpret and apply laws relative to the facts of a case while also upholding the rights and responsibilities endowed by the Kansas and U.S. Constitutions,” he said. “As attorneys make their arguments, justices ask them questions to clarify their positions about what the law requires.”
 
Rosen said this interaction between the justices and attorneys can help people better understand the legal issues presented in a case.
 
“In every community we visit, people have told us afterward that they learned something new or have a better understanding about the courts or the law,” he said.
 
Abilene will be the 26th community the court will visit since it began the program 15 years ago.
 
In 2011, the Supreme Court began conducting special sessions outside its Topeka courtroom. That year, it marked the state's 150th anniversary by convening in the historic Supreme Court courtroom in the Kansas Statehouse. The court returned to the Statehouse for another special session in January 2025.
 
Since 2011, the court has conducted special sessions in Colby, Concordia, Dodge City, El Dorado, Emporia, Garden City, Great Bend, Greensburg, Hays, Hiawatha, Hutchinson, Kansas City, Lawrence, Lansing, Logan, Louisburg, Maize, Manhattan, Overland Park, Parsons, Pittsburg, Salina, Topeka, Wichita, and Winfield.
 
Learn more about the court's visit to Abilene at kscourts.gov/travel-docket.