The Supreme Court: The Law of the Land

The Law of the Land 

The U.S. government system comprises three branches of government legislative, executive, and judicial. While these branches were made to have a system of checks and balances, the judicial branch played a critical role in U.S. history and federal laws established throughout the land. The Supreme Court is the highest law on the ground, and its main job is to review cases and make sure rules comply and align with the United States Constitution. 

History of The U.S. Supreme Court 

The United States Supreme Court was established by the United States Constitution in article three in 1789. Since the establishment of the Supreme Court, it has been the justices' job to review and make sure the duties and ideals of the constitution are being carried out by the actions and decisions they make. 

In 1803, the famous case Marbury v. Madison established the U.S. Supreme Court's ability to overrule Congress and grant acts of Congress unconstitutional. This was revolutionary as the case founded the idea of judicial review. Judicial review is a check used to balance the power of the other branches, such as the legislative and executive. This is set in place to prevent one single branch from becoming too powerful or controlling,

The Supreme Court comprises nine supreme court justices appointed by the president when a seat becomes available, which is then confirmed by Congress. It is made up of one chief justice and eight associate justices. The majority of judges are appointed and approved by the end of a president's term allowing the president to affect the majority party. The United States Supreme Court Justice position is held for life or until one does not want to do the job anymore, making it a highly prestigious position. 

Role of Supreme Court Justices 

The primary role of supreme court justices is to conference and deliberate the outcome of cases within the United States. The chief justice is also responsible for the administrative leadership of the entire federal judicial system. The judges interpret the constitution daily to apply the ideas to recent cases and review laws. The Supreme Court receives about 100 new cases per week, close to 7,000 points per year, with most of them being petitions for certiorari-written arguments attempting to persuade the supreme court lower court that needed to be corrected about their verdict. The top court accepts very few cases for certiorari, with about 100 being taken each year. The justices spend a reasonable amount of time working alone and reviewing cases independently. Each judge is individually responsible for deciding each case. The judges ask themselves several questions when determining which issues to proceed with. The justices meet weekly in conferences to decide which cases to choose that the court will accept and determine to be argued and discuss and vote on cases that have already been argued.

Supreme Court Justices & Their Roles  

The supreme courts hear cases in public lawyers on opposing sides are allowed 30 minutes on each side to argue their position. The oral argument lasts an hour altogether. The Supreme Court justices do their work publicly, asking questions during the oral argument. This seems intimidating, but I understand how powerful and liberating one can feel after navigating this situation with grace and poise. 

After hearing the arguments, justices gather in their conference room to vote on the case and are entirely alone. After they vote to decide an issue, one of the justices on the majority side is assigned to write an opinion explaining the legal reasons for making a decision. This is a time-consuming process as law clerks help research, draft ideas, prepare oral arguments, and screen the flow of new petitions. Any justice that does not agree with the majority opinion can write a separate statement rejecting the idea or accepting the result but not with the reasoning. The first draft of the final opinion takes about 4 weeks as revisions are continually made, and justices try to convince the others to join the majority opinion. Justices could switch sides, and the majority could become the minority rarely. The court's tradition is to release all thoughts and decisions for all current cases around late June. 

The Court Process 

As justices announce their decisions in the courtroom, the public information officer is notified to release copies to the press. Reporters attempt to summarize and inform the public about the supreme court's decisions and what is said in the court's opinions. These decisions affect everyone as they can alter how Americans live their lives. The Supreme Court has great power, and we Americans must trust our government and hope they value our interests.

After researching and understanding the Supreme Court's role in our government system, I am intrigued by its power and privileges. As someone who wants to attend law school and eventually become a lawyer, learning and understanding the Supreme Court's role is significant. They have remarkable power and hold over the United States.