1. Supreme Court

2. Basic Information…  9 Justices  Nominated by President  Approved by Senate  Hold position for life or until retire  9 Justices  Nominated by President  Approved by Senate  Hold position for life or until retire

3. Judicial Review…  Created by the case: Marbury v. Madison What is Judicial Review?  Supreme Court Reviews the “Constitutionality” of:  State and federal legislation  Actions of chief executives  Decisions of other courts  Created by the case: Marbury v. Madison What is Judicial Review?  Supreme Court Reviews the “Constitutionality” of:  State and federal legislation  Actions of chief executives  Decisions of other courts

4. Important Terms…  Writ of Certiorari (sur-shee-uh-rair- ee)  Stare Decisis (stair-ee dee-sigh-sis) Precedent  Remember:  Majority Opinion  Concurring Opinion  Dissenting Opinion  Writ of Certiorari (sur-shee-uh-rair- ee)  Stare Decisis (stair-ee dee-sigh-sis) Precedent  Remember:  Majority Opinion  Concurring Opinion  Dissenting Opinion

5. The Road to SCOTUS

6. US Court of Appeals and US District Courts

7. I will take this case all the way to the Supreme Court!!!!!  Annual docket = 8,000 petitions  Cert Pool  Fewer than 100 heard or reviewed  Rule of Four  Stop and Think: What are possible problems with the Cert Pool? Take 30 seconds  Discuss with table and be prepared to share. 3 min  Annual docket = 8,000 petitions  Cert Pool  Fewer than 100 heard or reviewed  Rule of Four  Stop and Think: What are possible problems with the Cert Pool? Take 30 seconds  Discuss with table and be prepared to share. 3 min

8. Continued  Petitioner=lost in lower  Respondent=won in lower  Ex: Miranda v. Arizona Petitioner is Miranda, Arizona is the Respondent  Petitioner=lost in lower  Respondent=won in lower  Ex: Miranda v. Arizona Petitioner is Miranda, Arizona is the Respondent

9. Basic Biographical Information of the Justices  Review the bios of the nine Supreme Court Justices  Try and determine if the Justice is conservative or liberal Conservative Block: Liberal Block: Swing Vote:  Review the bios of the nine Supreme Court Justices  Try and determine if the Justice is conservative or liberal Conservative Block: Liberal Block: Swing Vote:

10. Chief Justice John Roberts  Harvard grad  Law clerk for Rehnquist  Associate Counsel to Reagan  U.S.Court of Appeals for D.C.  Nominated Chief Justice by Pres. Bush 2005  Harvard grad  Law clerk for Rehnquist  Associate Counsel to Reagan  U.S.Court of Appeals for D.C.  Nominated Chief Justice by Pres. Bush 2005

11. Samuel Alito  Yale Law  U.S. Attorney New Jersey  U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit  Nominated Associate Justice by Pres. Bush 2006  Yale Law  U.S. Attorney New Jersey  U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit  Nominated Associate Justice by Pres. Bush 2006

12. Stephen Breyer  Harvard Law  Assistant Special Prosecutor of the Watergate Special Prosecution Force  U.S. Court of Appeals First Circuit  Nominated Associate Justice by Pres. Clinton 1994  Harvard Law  Assistant Special Prosecutor of the Watergate Special Prosecution Force  U.S. Court of Appeals First Circuit  Nominated Associate Justice by Pres. Clinton 1994

13. Ruth Bader Ginsberg  Harvard and Cornell Law School  Professor at Rutgers, Columbia  1971 - Launched the Women’s Rights Project of the ACLU  ACLU General Counsel and Board of Directors  Nominated Associate Justice by Pres. Clinton in 1993  Harvard and Cornell Law School  Professor at Rutgers, Columbia  1971 - Launched the Women’s Rights Project of the ACLU  ACLU General Counsel and Board of Directors  Nominated Associate Justice by Pres. Clinton in 1993

14. Clarence Thomas  Yale Law  Asst. Attorney General of Missouri  Asst. Sec. for Civil Rights, U.S. Dept. of Ed.  Chairman EEO Commission  Nominated Associate Justice by Pres. Bush 1991  Yale Law  Asst. Attorney General of Missouri  Asst. Sec. for Civil Rights, U.S. Dept. of Ed.  Chairman EEO Commission  Nominated Associate Justice by Pres. Bush 1991

15. Elana Kagan  Summa cum laude from Princeton  Harvard Law  Law Clerk for Thurgood Marshall  Associate Counsel to President Clinton  Dean of Harvard Law School  Nominated Associate Justice by Pres. Obama in 2010.  Summa cum laude from Princeton  Harvard Law  Law Clerk for Thurgood Marshall  Associate Counsel to President Clinton  Dean of Harvard Law School  Nominated Associate Justice by Pres. Obama in 2010.

16. Anthony Kennedy  Harvard Law  Chaired the Committee on Pacific Territories  U.S. Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit  Nominated Associate Justice by Pres. Reagan 1988  Harvard Law  Chaired the Committee on Pacific Territories  U.S. Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit  Nominated Associate Justice by Pres. Reagan 1988

17. Antonin Scalia  Harvard Law  Law Professor UVA, Georgetown, Stanford  U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C.  Nominated Associate Justice by Pres. Reagan in 1986  Harvard Law  Law Professor UVA, Georgetown, Stanford  U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C.  Nominated Associate Justice by Pres. Reagan in 1986

18. Sonia Sotamayor  Yale Law  Assistant DA in NY  U.S. Court of Appeals Second Circuit  Nominated Associate Justice by Pres. Obama 2009  Yale Law  Assistant DA in NY  U.S. Court of Appeals Second Circuit  Nominated Associate Justice by Pres. Obama 2009

19. So.. Conservative Block: Liberal Block: Swing Vote: Some stats: Since the October 2000 term, on average 22% of the opinions issued in any given term are decided by a 5-4 vote, with an average of 70% of those opinions decided by a Court divided along the traditionally perceived ideological line. Just 44% of Americans approve of SCOTUS, and 75% think they are influenced by their political or personal views. Conservative Block: Liberal Block: Swing Vote: Some stats: Since the October 2000 term, on average 22% of the opinions issued in any given term are decided by a 5-4 vote, with an average of 70% of those opinions decided by a Court divided along the traditionally perceived ideological line. Just 44% of Americans approve of SCOTUS, and 75% think they are influenced by their political or personal views.

20. Liberal to Conservative Spectrum