The court of last resort for all cases arising under federal law and the Constitution. Its docket is almost entirely discretionary: roughly 60 of some 5,000 annual petitions for certiorari are granted, which makes the choice of what to hear as consequential as the ruling itself.
How the court is constituted
- Tier
- supreme
- Court type
- General jurisdiction apex court
- Jurisdiction
- National — final appellate and limited original jurisdiction
- Seat
- Washington, D.C.
- Established
- 1789
- Composition
- Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices sitting en banc
- Appointment
- Nominated by the President, confirmed by the Senate, life tenure during good behaviour
- Caseload
- ~5,000 petitions per term; 55–70 argued cases
- Languages
- English
Where an appeal goes next
No further appeal; only a constitutional amendment or the Court itself can overturn a holding
Filing at this court
- Route in
- Petition for a writ of certiorari within 90 days of final judgment
- Docket fee
- USD 300, waivable in forma pauperis
- Counsel
- Admission to the Supreme Court bar required to argue
Decisions worth knowing
- Marbury v. Madison1803
Established judicial review of federal legislation.
- Brown v. Board of Education1954
Segregated public schooling is unconstitutional.
- Gideon v. Wainwright1963
Right to appointed counsel in serious criminal cases.
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