Profile of a Supreme Court Justice  Protestant: 83%  Age:  Male: 108  Female: 4  Party: Same as President  Salary: $213,900  Chief:$223,500  Education:College Graduate

Supreme Court Justice  Appointed by the President  Submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee for review and study.  Debated by the Senate  Requires approval by 2/3 majority of the Senate for confirmation.  Appointed for life  “Presidents come and go but Supreme Court decisions go on forever.”

Historic Appointments  Thurgood Marshall-1967  Appointed by Lyndon Johnson  NAACP lawyer  Brown vs. Board case  Autherine Lucy case  First African American appointed to the Supreme Court

Historic Appointments  Sandra Day O’Connor  1982  First female appointed to the United States Supreme Court  Appointed by Ronald Reagan.

Steps to the Supreme Court

How many cert petitions are considered?  In recent terms, there have been between 7,000 and 9,000 cases appealed to the Supreme Court each year  Out of approx. 8,000 petitions in the average year, about 80 are granted (1%) Paid Petitions Petitions that pay the $300 filing fee In forma pauperis litigants who can’t pay the filing fee (often prisoners) ~20% of petitions~80% of petitions 3-4% granted0.2% granted Make up 85-90% of docket Make up 10-15% of docket

Petitions filed by individuals tend to be heard less Ranking tends to be: #1 - U.S. government #2 - Corporations #3 - States #4 - Organized groups #5 - Individuals

Supreme Court 2014 Row 1: Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, John G. Roberts (CJ), Anthony M. Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg Row 2: Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen G. Breyer, Samuel Anthony Alito, Elena Kagan,

Supreme Court  President Barack Obama introduces Solicitor General Elena Kagan as his choice for Supreme Court Justice in the East Room of the White House in Washington as Vice- President Joe Biden applauds.

United States Supreme Court Judicial Activism The belief that a justice should use his or her position to promote desirable social ends. Ex. Death Penalty Living Constitution Interpret the Constitution to reflect the changing beliefs of an evolving society. Judicial Restraint The belief that a justice should defer to the actions of the executive and legislative branch since they are elected. Validate the legislatures. "Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't make the rules; they apply them. The role of an umpire and a judge is critical. They make sure everybody plays by the rules. But it is a limited role. Nobody ever went to a ballgame to see the umpire.” Originalists Interpreted in the light of its original meaning.