The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the country.
It has the final say on what the Constitution means.
There are 9 justices one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices appointed for life by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
Their job is to:
Interpret the Constitution
Decide if laws or government actions are constitutional
Resolve big legal questions that affect the whole country
The Supreme Court gets thousands of petitions each year (called “writs of certiorari”), but only takes about 70–80 cases annually.
They usually pick cases that:
Involve big constitutional questions
Have conflicting rulings from lower courts
Could set nationwide precedent
It takes 4 of the 9 justices to agree to hear a case this is called the “rule of four.”
When the Court agrees to hear a case, both sides (called petitioner and respondent) submit written briefs explaining their arguments.
Then, they present oral arguments in front of the justices each side usually gets about 30 minutes.
During this time, the justices can interrupt and ask questions. (And they do. A lot.)
After oral arguments, the justices meet in a private conference no cameras, no notes, just them to discuss and vote on the case.
They go in order of seniority, with the Chief Justice speaking first.
The majority side decides who writes the opinion of the Court.
There are usually three types of opinions:
Majority opinion the official decision of the Court, explains why they ruled that way.
Concurring opinion a justice agrees with the outcome but for different reasons.
Dissenting opinion a justice disagrees with the majority and explains why.
These written opinions are what set legal precedent for future cases.
Decisions are announced publicly usually between January and June each year.
Most major rulings come out in June, right before the Court’s summer break.
You can read every opinion the moment it’s released at supremecourt.gov.
The Supreme Court’s rulings shape American life everything from civil rights and free speech to healthcare, elections, and technology.
Once the Court rules, its decision becomes the law of the land unless Congress passes a new law or the Court later overturns its own precedent.
The Supreme Court is America’s final referee the last word on what’s constitutional and what isn’t.
It listens to both sides, debates behind closed doors, and then writes opinions that can change the direction of the nation for decades.
Here’s the official website for the Supreme Court of the United States: CLICK HERE
You can find dockets, opinions, oral arguments, and the Court’s calendar there.
You can view the Constitution of the United States:
National Archives and Records Administration website: National Archives
The annotated version (with legal notes & interpretation) on the Library of Congress site: Congress.gov
