1. Deciding Cases at the Supreme Court
Mr. Collins and Mrs. Kozlik
CE 8b
Chapter 8 Section 4

2. How Cases Reach the Court
Sessions last from October until June or July
Out of more than 7,000 applications per year, the Court accepts less than 200

3. Reaching the Court (cont.)
4 of the 9 justices have to agree to review a case
Cases usually involve constitutional issues or affect the entire nation
If accepted, the cases go on the Court docket, or calendar

4. Steps in Decision Making
Each case goes through 5 steps:
Written arguments- Lawyers present briefs. Justices study the briefs.
Oral arguments- Each side gets 30 minutes to orally present case. Justices ask tough questions.
Conference- On Fridays, justices meet privately to discuss the case. Majority vote decides the case.

5. Steps (cont.)
4. Opinion writing- Majority, dissenting, unanimous or concurring opinions may be written
5. Announcement- released to news reporters and posted on Court’s Web site:

6. Reasons for Court Decisions
Law is most important influence on a justice’s decision
However, laws must adapt to changing times and social conditions
Justices can overrule outdated precedents
Example: Plessy vs. Ferguson overruled by Brown vs. Board of Education