The%20Supreme%20Court

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The Supreme Court

• Chapter 11
• Section 3

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Section 3
Supreme Court Justices

• The Supreme Court is comprised of nine justices
  the chief justice of the United States and eight
  associate justices.

• The Supreme Courts duty involves them in three
  decision-making tasks

• deciding which cases to hear from among the
  thousands appealed to the Court each year

• deciding the case itself and

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Section 3
Supreme Court Justices (cont.)

• determining an explanation for the decision,
  called the Courts opinion.

• The chief justices duties include

• presiding over sessions and conferences at which
  the justices discuss cases

• assigning the writing of the Courts opinion to
  one of the justices who voted for the ruling and

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Section 3
Supreme Court Justices (cont.)

• helping administer the federal court system.

• The Courts law clerks assist the justices with
  many tasks, enabling the justices to concentrate
  on their pressing duties.

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Section 3
Supreme Court Jurisdiction

• Article III, Section 2, of the Constitution
  addresses two types of cases in which the Supreme
  Court has original jurisdiction

• cases involving representatives of foreign
  governments and

• certain cases in which a state is a party.

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Supreme Court Jurisdiction (cont.)

• The Supreme Court can also hear cases appealed
  from the highest court of a state if claims under
  federal law or the Constitution are involved.

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Section 3
Appointing Justices

• Justices reach the Court through appointment by
  the president with Senate approval.

• Political considerations often affect a
  presidents choice of a nominee to the Court.

• Presidents prefer to nominate a candidate whose
  political beliefs are similar to their own.

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Section 3
Appointing Justices (cont.)

• The American Bar Association evaluates the
  professional qualifications of candidates for all
  Article III judicial positions

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Section 3
Appointing Justices (cont.)

• Members of the Supreme Court sometimes have
  considerable influence in the selection of new
  justices.

• As leaders of the Court, chief justices have
  often been very active in the selection process.