When Mayer Brown special counsel Charles Rothfeld began arguing his case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Friday, he urged the judges to let him know if they had trouble hearing him. “This is a novel experience for all of us,” Rothfeld added.

That’s because Rothfeld was arguing his case over the phone, as the court has stopped holding oral arguments in-person in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The circuit said in an order this week that all scheduled arguments will now be held telephonically, decided on the briefs or postponed to a later date.