1. Supreme Court Summer Institute for Teachers

2. Good morning!
Today, we’re going to begin using a live group polling app called Poll Everywhere. Sometimes, we’ll pose a question. You’ll have three ways to respond:
Text a response to a phone number (this works with smart or “dumb” phones)
To participate using this option, text MeganHanson483 to now.
Go to a website and enter your response
Make sure you’ve got the internet up and working now. The info is:
Network:
Code:
Download the Poll Everywhere app on your smartphone/tablet and respond in the app.
Search for the free Poll Everywhere app in your app store (for iPhones or Androids)
If you don’t have the technology or know-how, but still want to participate, please see Anthony or Kat and we’ll give you a hand.

3. A year at the supreme court
OCTOBER TERM (OT) 2016
OCTOBER TERM (OT) 2014

4. A year at the supreme court
OCTOBER TERM (OT) 2016
Oct.
2016
April 2017
June 2017
Jan.
2017
Sep.
OCTOBER TERM (OT) 2014

5. A year at the supreme court
Oral arguments
OCTOBER TERM (OT) 2016
Oct.
2016
April 2017
June 2017
Jan.
2017
Sep.
OCTOBER TERM (OT) 2014

6. A year at the supreme court
Oral arguments
OCTOBER TERM (OT) 2016
Oct.
2016
April 2017
June 2017
Jan.
2017
Sep.
Decisions
OCTOBER TERM (OT) 2014

7. A year at the supreme court
Oral arguments
OCTOBER TERM (OT) 2016
Oct.
2016
April 2017
June 2017
Jan.
2017
Sep.
Decisions
Certiorari grants
OCTOBER TERM (OT) 2014

8. A year at the supreme court
Oral arguments
OCTOBER TERM (OT) 2016
Oct.
2016
April 2017
June 2017
Jan.
2017
Sep.
Decisions
Certiorari grants
OCTOBER TERM (OT) 2014

9. A year at the supreme court
Oral arguments
OCTOBER TERM (OT) 2016
Oct.
2016
April 2017
June 2017
Jan.
2017
Sep.
Decisions
Certiorari grants
OCTOBER TERM (OT) 2014

10. The Certiorari Process
The Supreme Court “is not and has never been primarily concerned with the correction of errors in lower court decisions.”
- Chief Justice Vinson

11. The Court’s Primary Role
To resolve conflicts in lower courts; interpret the constitution, laws, and treaties of the United States
In other words
“To secure the national rights and uniformity of judgments.”
- John Rutledge at the
Constitutional Convention

12. DC
Fed.

13. How many cert petitions are considered?
In recent terms, there have been between 6,500 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% granted
0.2% granted
Make up 85-90% of docket
Make up 10-15% of docket

14. Cert: The Numbers in 2015-16 4,926 IFP Petitions
82 cases argued, 62 signed opinions after argument
Approx.1% of all petitions!
1,549 Paid Petitions
1 Original Jurisdiction
Statistics compiled from +
Difference between 82 argued and 62 signed opinions – some cases consolidated so that one opinion resolved multiple cases, four cases affirmed by an equally divided court, a couple were dismissed
7,376 total Petitions
6,475 Total Petitions

15. Cert: The Justices’ Role
With 6,500 petitions per year:
If a justice spent 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year ONLY reading cert petitions, they would be able to allocate approximately 18 minutes to each petition (which may include the petition itself, the brief in opposition, a reply brief, and amicus briefs).
The justices cannot possibly read all the cert petitions. They just don’t have the time.

16. Cert Pool = = IN the pool NOT in the pool Roberts Kennedy Sotomayor
Thomas
Ginsburg
Breyer
Kagan =
4 clerks x 7 justices =
28 law clerks
read 6,500 petitions
Each clerk reads and writes a memo on 230 petitions/yr
Alito
Gorsuch
4 clerks x 1 justice =
4 law clerks
read 6,500 petitions
Each clerk reads 1,625 petitions/yr =

17. Cert Pool Advantages Disadvantages Saves time
More thorough consideration of each petition
Clerks from other chambers can mark up pool memos and give to their justice
Disadvantages
Reduces independence if seven justices are relying on one writer for each memo
The pool gives clerks— generally one year out of law school and only at the Court for one year—too much responsibility for setting the Court’s agenda

18. “Discuss List”
The Chief Justice generates a discuss list based on memos prepared by clerks. Other justices may add to the list.
All cases generated by Solicitor General (head Supreme Court lawyer for federal government) are automatically discussed.
All Capital Cases are discussed (no such thing as a “frivolous case” here).

19. The rule of four If four justices vote to grant cert, it is granted
Designed to prevent tyranny of the majority
If a case does not gain four votes, a justice may write a “dissent from denial,” but this is extremely rare
All votes are secret

20. “cert-worthy” criteria
Conflict in lower courts
Importance
Lower court has overturned a federal statute
Affects large number of people
Unique/one-of-a-kind case this Court must decide
Solicitor General is involved
Areas of particular interest to Justices
Flagrant Legal Errors in Lower Courts
But the Court’s role is not to correct errors of lower court judges, so this is rare

21. More reasons to deny than to grant
A better case “in the pipeline”
The issue hasn’t “percolated” enough
A petition that raises too many questions (prefer focusing on one issue)
Bad vehicle for reaching this legal issue
Case is deemed “frivolous”
Absurd “nut cases”

22. Cases are fungible
What’s important is the legal issue raised, not the parties or facts
Assumption is: a better case will come along if the issue is important
Don’t want to risk producing a fractured opinion (4-4-1 or splits)

23. Petitions filed by individuals tend to be heard less
There is a correlation between type of petitioner and rate of acceptance. Typically:
#1 - U.S. government
#2 - Corporations
#3 - States
#4 - Organized groups
#5 - Individuals

24. “lawyering?” Study by Reuters:
Appeals filed by “elite” lawyers were 6X more likely to be accepted than those filed by other lawyers.
This “elite” group was 66 out of 17,000 lawyers who petitioned the Court between

25. “lawyering?” (cont.) Justices told Reuters:
Ginsburg: “If you know you have a solid beginning, two people making the best argument on both sides, that makes it less anxious for you.”
Thomas: “Any number of people will vote against a cert petition if they think the lawyering is bad.”

26. Supreme Court Summer Institute for Teachers