The Make-Up of the

Supreme Court
How is the Supreme Court
organized & how are justices
chosen?

How is the Supreme Court

viewed in legal standing?
The Supreme
Court is the court
of last resort
No more appeals
Final verdicts

Cases:
Federal cases
State cases

Who sits on the Supreme

Court?
Justices:
1 Chief Justice
8 Associate Justices

Other officials:
Law clerks
Researchers
Police / Guides

Justice
Sotomayor

Justice Bryer

Justice Alito
Justice Kagan

Justice Scalia
Justice
Thomas

Chief Justice
Roberts

Justice
Kennedy
Justice
Ginsburg

Known as the Great Hall; an overhead look of the

main courtroom in the Supreme Court building

Closer shot of the Supreme Courts main bench for the justices

The Supreme Court library on the fourth floor of the building

Supreme Court clerks are

often young lawyers just
out of law school who
ranked at the top of their
class
They go through a very
intensive application
process to get these jobs
Requirements:
Research
Helping w/ paperwork

On the Supreme Courts top floor there is a basketball

court nicknamed the highest court in the land

How is a Chief Justice

chosen?
Two (2) ways:
Nominated
specifically by
the President
Nominated by
the other justices
In both cases,
Senate approval is
needed

How are Associate Justices

chosen?
Process:
Candidates are nominated
by the President and /or
other justices
Prior to confirmation, the
candidate will go through
a confirmation hearing
Senate Judiciary Committee

Confidence vote before

the full Senate (majority
needed)

An inside / empty shot of the Senate Judiciary

Committee chamber at the US Capital Building

Senate Confirmation Hearing in

progress

What is the jurisdiction of the

Supreme Court?
The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law
and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of
the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall
be made, under their Authority; to all Cases affecting
Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls; to
all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction; to
Controversies to which the United States shall be a
Party; to Controversies between two or more States;
between a State and Citizens of another State;
between Citizens of different States; between Citizens
of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of
different States, and between a State, or the Citizens
thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects

What is the jurisdiction of the

Supreme Court?
What does all that mean?
The Court can hear the following:

Constitution questions / merit (most of cases)

Treaties
Ambassadors, Officials, etc.
Controversies between States
Controversies between Citizens
Controversies between States & Citizens
Controversies between the Federal gov., States ,
and / or citizens

What is the jurisdiction of the

Supreme Court?
All of these cases fall
under the Courts
appellate jurisdiction
The power to review,
revise, or overturn
Supreme Court justices
can pick and chooses
cases by simple
majority vote (4 votes)