The U.S. Supreme Court Highest court in the land Has original and appellate jurisdiction 4 out of 5 cases are appellate (80% appellate jurisdiction) Original if a state is a party to a case or a U.S. ambassador, minister, or consul is in the hot seat Meet october to July in a given year….each term is divided into 2 week settings Public courtroom sessions are held Monday through Thursday Each sitting is followed by a 2 week recess

It is composed of 9 judges appointed for life by the President 1 is a chief justice 8 are associate justices Since 1869, the number has been set at 9. Congress has the authority to determine the number on the court Can be impeached, but has never happened Senate must approve the nomination (through committee then floor vote) Qualifications (traditional): Legal training background White males (with a few exceptions) Often similar political views as president appointing them

Qualifications for Supreme Court justice Must be nominated by the US President Must receive Senate consent http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/13/politics/antonin-scalia-supreme-court-cases/ Scalia's sudden death over the weekend at a Texas desert resort means the court is facing a new challenge: the loss of its main conservative voice. "The entire tenor of this term has now changed," said Stephen Vladeck a CNN contributor and a law professor at American University Washington College of Law. "The court can try to go ahead, but on cases where they are split 4-4 , their only options are to leave the lower court decision intact or to hold the case over until Justice Scalia's replacement is confirmed." If the court is equally divided in a case, ruling 4-4, it means the lower court opinion stands and there is no precedent set by the Supreme Court. Read More That could have a major impact this term, for example, in the labor union case the court is deciding. At issue there is whether non members of a public sector union can be compelled to pay fees for collective bargaining. If the court were to rule with the challengers it could severely weaken labor coffers at a time when unions in general are in decline

Duties of the Chief Justice: Determines which cases will be heard Approves court regulations Presides at the swearing in of a president Presides at impeachment trials John roberts 17th chief justices of supreme court Assigns the Justices to the 12 circuits

The Work of the Court Selecting cases Required by law to hear all cases involving constitutionality of laws passed by Congress Appellate cases need “rule of four” to happen 4 justices must show interest in wanting to hear the case, vote on it, and then that case will be given the full considereation of the court Must have national repercussions/significance Scalia's sudden death over the weekend at a Texas desert resort means the court is facing a new challenge: the loss of its main conservative voice. "The entire tenor of this term has now changed," said Stephen Vladeck a CNN contributor and a law professor at American University Washington College of Law. "The court can try to go ahead, but on cases where they are split 4-4 , their only options are to leave the lower court decision intact or to hold the case over until Justice Scalia's replacement is confirmed." If the court is equally divided in a case, ruling 4-4, it means the lower court opinion stands and there is no precedent set by the Supreme Court. Read More That could have a major impact this term, for example, in the labor union case the court is deciding. At issue there is whether non members of a public sector union can be compelled to pay fees for collective bargaining. If the court were to rule with the challengers it could severely weaken labor coffers at a time when unions in general are in decline http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/13/politics/antonin-scalia-supreme-court-cases/

2. Deciding Cases All oral arguments are open to the public Discussions by judges on formal decisions are done in private At least 6 justices must be present to decide a case Decision of the Court is determined by majority vote If a tie is reached because a member is absent, the decision of a lower court is upheld In Marbury v. Madison (1803) the Supreme Court announced for the first time the principle that a court may declare an act of Congress void if it is inconsistent with the Constitution

3. Giving their opinion Unanimous opinion Majority opinion Concurring opinion (different reasoning) Dissenting opinion (disagrees with majority)

Notable Justices Thurgood Marshall (1st African American) Sandra Day O-Connor (1st Female) Clarence Thomas (2nd African American) Ruth Bader Ginzburg (2nd Female) On June 13, 1967, President Johnson nominated Marshall to the Supreme Court following the retirement of Justice Tom C. Clark, saying that this was "the right thing to do, the right time to do it, the right man and the right place.“ In 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed Marshall to the U.S. Court of Appeals, but his nomination was opposed by many Southern senators, and he was not confirmed until the next year. Sandra Day O'Connor (born March 26, 1930) is a retired Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from her appointment in 1981 by Ronald Reagan until her retirement in 2006. She was the first woman to be appointed to the Court.

Current Supreme Court members http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx