How does the U.S. Supreme Court work?

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial authority in the federal system, holding ultimate appellate jurisdiction over federal laws and constitutional questions. Composed of nine justices appointed for life, the court exercises the power of judicial review to invalidate unconstitutional statutes and executive directives. While receiving thousands of petitions annually, the court selects only a small fraction for full review.

What we know

• The U.S. Supreme Court consists of nine justices—the chief justice and eight associate justices—a bench size set by the Judiciary Act of 1869. [2, 3]
• The court asserted the power of judicial review in 1803, enabling it to invalidate statutes and executive actions that violate the Constitution. [2]
• Justices hold lifetime tenure under Article Three of the Constitution, serving until death, retirement, resignation, or impeachment and removal. [2, 3]
• The Supreme Court receives roughly 7,000 petitions for writs of certiorari each year but grants review to only about 80 cases. [2]

Still open

• Scholars continue to analyze the extent to which judicial decision-making is driven by formal legal doctrine versus individual political philosophy and ideological values.

Where to go next

• how it workedHow are Supreme Court justices nominated and confirmed?
• what caused itHow did judicial review become established in American law?
• whereWhere is the Supreme Court located and managed?
• the bigger pictureHow does the broader federal judicial system operate?
• whoWhich U.S. president also served as Chief Justice?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a former U.S. president help build the Supreme Court's home?President William Howard Taft suggested a standalone Supreme Court building in 1912 and later successfully secured its construction after becoming Chief Justice in 1921.

Sources

• [1]Supreme Court of the United States (Wikidata Q11201) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Supreme Court of the United States · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]List of justices of the Supreme Court of the United States · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]United States Supreme Court Building · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Ideological leanings of United States Supreme Court justices · CC BY-SA 4.0

Your path

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6. /How was the United States Department of Justice created?
7. /What is the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building?
8. /How does the U.S. Supreme Court work?