As of this writing, Oyez has made 2,000 hours of oral arguments in key constitutional cases available to the public; organisers hope to create a complete and authoritative archive, with search functionality, of the approximately 6,000 hours of the Supreme Court recordings made since 1955 (when taping of oral arguments began).

Oyez's central strategy is bringing the judicial process "home" by enabling citizens to hear the voices of Supreme Court justices deliberating about various issues. Particularly in the context controversial cases involving issues such as affirmative action and abortion, the programme director says, "there's so much more information and emotion in the human voice that a transcript can't do it justice". Oyez enables citizens to access this audio on the Oyez website. There are two options: downloading a free player from Real to access audio in a "streaming" format that requires a continuous Internet connection, or accessing the files in MP3 format. The latter option - which is in the process of being made available as of this writing - permits downloading, file sharing, and use on portable devices. Users of this sharable format option must credit Oyez and limit usage to noncommercial purposes. To access either option, users must have a sound-capable computer and speakers, and must be able to download free multimedia software available elsewhere online.

The Oyez site also features case summaries, as well as panoramic images of the Supreme Court building. Also available on this site is an "iCalendar" that details court events such as cases being argued and justices being appointed. The Oyez Project has also created Oyez news items and "On This Day" reports. A discussion forum, which will accommodate sharing of the MP3 files, is designed to bolster peer-to-peer networks.

Political Development, Technology.