The Third Branch (the Newsletter of the Federal Courts)  announces that the Seventh Circuit “is the first federal court of appeals to make RSS feeds of opinions and audio recordings of oral arguments available from its Web site.”  You can get the feed here. 

The Third Branch says this about innovations in the Seventh Circuit and other circuits: 

Over a decade ago, the Seventh Circuit was the first federal circuit with a bulletin board, a type of pre-Internet system that allowed users to exchange messages and read news over a phone line. The circuit was the first to require attorneys to submit briefs on floppy disks. They also were one of the first to make audio of arguments available online. With the addition of an RSS feed, audio of oral arguments is now available the same day, and the Seventh Circuit is again leading the way. The circuit also plans to add more "how to" information about rules and procedures to their Web site.

"I think having the briefs and arguments up on the Web makes for a much better-educated bar," said Circuit Executive Collins Fitzpatrick. "They can listen to arguments, and see what happens. They can be better prepared."

When compared to other circuits, the Seventh Circuit may be out front when it comes to the acces-sibility of opinions and arguments, but they are not alone. Most courts of appeals make audio files of oral arguments available to the public. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Federal Circuit make audio files of oral arguments available in MP3 format. The Ninth Circuit posts audio files of arguments on its Web site. (The Second and Ninth Circuits also permit camera coverage of their proceedings.) The D.C., First, Second, Fourth, and Sixth Circuits all provide audio files on a CD upon request.