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Oral arguments in six appellate cases will be heard in Courtroom 1 of the Ocean County Courthouse on Mar. 16, today announced Judge Edwin H. Stern, presiding judge for administration of the Appellate Division of New Jersey Superior Court. Because the Appellate Division rarely sits in Toms River, this date offers an unusual opportunity for local students, attorneys and members of the public to view oral arguments in front of the appellate judges.

Normally, there are only four locations around the state where appellate arguments are heard: Trenton, Hackensack, Morristown, and Atlantic City. In addition, the Appellate Division schedules arguments on the campus of Rutgers University School of Law-Newark several times per year to give law students the opportunity to attend and learn from these arguments.

"By expanding the number of locations where oral arguments are held, we are able not only to accommodate the needs of the attorneys who will present these cases, but also to give additional students and members of the public the opportunity to observe the appellate process," said Judge Stern.

The Appellate Division of Superior Court is the state's intermediate appellate court. It receives appeals from the trial courts, the Tax Court, and the state's administrative agencies, and also may consider interlocutory motions from cases pending in these venues. The 35 judges in the Appellate Division serve in one of eight parts, with the senior judge in each part serving as the presiding judge who manages the workflow. The division receives approximately 7,000 appeals each year. Every case is heard by a panel of two or three judges whose decision is delivered in a written opinion.

Oral arguments also will be heard in Toms River on Apr. 6 and May 11. The full appellate calendar can be accessed at njcourtsonline.com. Under "Information Desk" click on "Calendars and Schedules," then "Appellate Court Calendar."