https://padlet.com/camryn_pierce/nml595cnd0v8 en-us 2018-01-18 03:40:44 UTC 2018-01-21 20:06:17 UTC hello@padlet.com camryn_pierce https://padlet.com/camryn_pierce/nml595cnd0v8/wish/223143658 The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land and as such sits at the top of the judicial branch in our democracy. The Court’s primary function is to resolve disputes that arise over the meaning of federal law and the U.S. Constitution. The Court tries to make sure that federal law is uniform and means the same thing everywhere in the country. The Supreme Court can decide what a federal law means or whether any law is unconstitutional. However, the nine justices on the Court cannot simply see a law that is confusing or perhaps unconstitutional and issue an opinion about what the law means.]]> 2018-01-21 19:58:30 UTC https://padlet.com/camryn_pierce/nml595cnd0v8/wish/223143658 camryn_pierce https://padlet.com/camryn_pierce/nml595cnd0v8/wish/223143868 The Supreme Court decides which cases it will hear and rule on. They also choose cases that raise major questions about the law that will have a national impact, questions that they believe must be answered for the good of the country. This includes controversial issues like abortion, privacy, or the death penalty, as well as politically charged topics like campaign finance. ]]> 2018-01-21 19:59:54 UTC https://padlet.com/camryn_pierce/nml595cnd0v8/wish/223143868 camryn_pierce https://padlet.com/camryn_pierce/nml595cnd0v8/wish/223144459
The process of dealing with 9,000 petitions for certiorari is extremely time consuming for the Court. It would be impossible for the justices to carefully review all these petitions on their own and do all their other work. So the justices’ law clerks, each justice usually has four, assume a major role in reviewing the petitions. The law clerks are typically recent law school graduates who have done exceptional work as law students and have already clerked for one year at a federal court of appeals. The law clerks read every petition. They look for cases that clearly present a federal legal issue that is important and that has divided the lower courts. They do not simply look for a decision that should be reversed or overturned. 

]]> 2018-01-21 20:04:28 UTC https://padlet.com/camryn_pierce/nml595cnd0v8/wish/223144459 camryn_pierce https://padlet.com/camryn_pierce/nml595cnd0v8/wish/223144666 Compared to most trials, the Supreme Court hearings are typically quite short. Unlike a trial court, the Supreme Court does not hear witness testimony, accept evidence, or have a jury. The nine justices read written arguments from the parties and notes from their clerks, and participate in one hour of oral argument for each case.]]> 2018-01-21 20:06:05 UTC https://padlet.com/camryn_pierce/nml595cnd0v8/wish/223144666