How much do you know about the Supreme Court Here's a fun little "quiz" to balance the facts against common misconceptions…

How is the Chief Justice different from the other eight justices? The C.J. is considered "first among equals" His vote does not weigh more than the other justices, but he does preside over oral arguments and over the conference in which the Justices discuss the cases He also has addl. Administrative duties as head of the Judicial Branch

How is the Chief Justice appointed How is the Chief Justice appointed? Does the most senior Justice become the Chief? All of the justices, including the Chief Justice, are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. One does not have to serve on the Bench prior to being appointed Chief Justice, but, of course, they usually have served.

Where are the Justices' Chambers? The Justices' Chambers are located throughout the building

Do all of the Justices have to be present in order to hear a case? Not all of the Justices need to be present to hear a case. It takes a QUORUM – six of the nine Justices – to hear a case

What is the salary of the Justices? The C.J. makes $171,500 a year The Associate Justices make $164,100 There are also many perks to the office: Limo rides to work A very short working calendar year Free tickets, trips, and other special treatment

What are the qualifications of the Justices? The Constitution does not specify qualifications, i.e., age, profession, education, etc., for a Justice. Although every Justice has been a lawyer, not all have graduated from law school (i.e. in the early years) They serve "with good behavior" for LIFE!

What is the size of a Justice's staff? A Justice's staff is fairly small. Each is allowed 4 law clerks (a very prestigious job in the field of law) Many of the Justices were themselves former clerks In addition, each has a secretary, an assistant secretary and an aide.

Do all of the Justices read all of the petitions? The Justices review very few of the 7,000 petitions that are filed at the Court. Most of the review is done by the clerks.

Have there always been nine Justices? Congress has the power to determine the number of Justices Originally, the Federal Judiciary Act of 1789 established the Supreme Court with six (5 associates and 1 chief) The number was increased to 7 in 1807, and to 9 in 1837. There was more fluctuation and finally settled at 9 in 1869.

How long has the current Court been around? The membership of the current Supreme Court has not changed since August 1994. The 9½ years that the current members have served together is the longest such stretch without a change since the Court expanded to nine justices

Who is the current Chief Justice? William Rehnquist He is fairly conservative The current Court is known as the "Rehnquist Court" as in the past, the Court is known by the name of the C.J. He has been Chief since 1986

What is the average age of the Justices? The average age of the Justices currently is 74.5 years The oldest Justice, John Paul Stevens, 84, and the youngest, Clarence Thomas, is 56.

Is there a time limit on presentation of a case? Yes, attorneys generally have one hour. The Justices ask questions during their presentation, so time is very tight. The time frame is very strict and a red light comes on the podium when time is up for the presenting attorneys

What happens if there is a tie in a decision? In the case of a tie at the Supreme Court level, the decision of the lower court stands, but only in the circuit from which it was appealed

What happens to the cases which are not accepted What happens to the cases which are not accepted? (and only a very small % are accepted) The decision of the lower court stands (what is the Latin term for this?) Stare Decisis

What types of opinions can be handed down? Majority Concurrent Dissenting Be sure you understand each of these!!

Who gets to "deliver" the opinion? The most senior Justice in the majority can deliver the opinion or choose another Justice to deliver it.

How long after oral arguments are heard are the opinions handed down? The time between when a case is heard and when the decision is actually handed down varies from case to case. Although, there is no time limit to which the Justices must adhere, usually opinions are handed down in the same Term as the case was argued Usually the opinions are delivered in May

Where/why is Moses in the Courtroom? Moses can be found on the frieze on the right side of the public gallery. He was included by the artist because he is considered one of the great lawgivers in history

What is behind the curtain in the Courtroom? The Wizard, of course!! Seriously, behind the curtain are volumes of the United States Reports

Who can attend oral arguments and decisions? The Court is open to the public, but there is very limited seating. Many seats are reserved for the attorneys and their guests. The public can rotate through on certain days in a "5 minute line" Check it out sometime, it's pretty neat

How do you become an intern for the Supreme Court? The selection process for becoming an intern at the Supreme Court involves applying for a position, completing an interview and being selected by the office which offers the internship. Intern programs are offered by the major offices of the Supreme Court (Curator's and Clerk's offices)