For years, advocates for government transparency have called on the federal appeals courts to livestream all oral arguments for the public, but it was COVID-19 and public health concerns that finally pushed the judiciary to do so last year.

Now, with in-person hearings slowly re-starting in some places, it’s unclear whether live audio feeds will remain a fixture of the courts. Most of the 13 circuit courts have not yet decided, but it’s a question judges are weighing as some call for continued remote public access to proceedings. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court announced earlier this month that a live audio feed of oral arguments will be available starting Oct. 4, the first day of the 2021 term.