Page 2: Supreme Court Operations and Decision-Making

The Supreme Court's operational procedures involve careful case selection and deliberation processes, with specific criteria for accepting cases through the certiorari process.

Definition: The writ of certiorari is a formal request for the Supreme Court to review a lower court's decision.

Highlight: The Supreme Court only hears 75-80 cases annually, selecting them through a rigorous certiorari process.

Vocabulary: Amicus curiae, meaning "friend of the court," allows interested parties to file briefs or present oral arguments.

Example: The "Rule of Four" requires at least four justices to agree to hear a case before it can be accepted.

Quote: "Judicial restraint posits courts should allow the decisions of other branches of government to stand, even when they offend a judge's own principles."

Page 5: [No content provided for page 5]

Page 1: Foundation of the Federal Judiciary

The federal court system's structure was established through the Judiciary Act of 1789, creating a three-tiered system that remains fundamental today. Hamilton's Federalist No. 78 provided the theoretical framework for judicial power, including judicial review.

Definition: The federal court system consists of district courts at the bottom, circuit courts in the middle, and the Supreme Court at the top.

Highlight: The landmark case Marbury v. Madison, decided under Chief Justice John Marshall, established the principle of judicial review.

Vocabulary: Judicial review refers to the courts' power to review acts of other government branches and states.

Example: The case began when William Marbury sought his commission as justice of the peace through a writ of mandamus to the Supreme Court.

Quote: "John Marshall served as the longest-serving Supreme Court Chief Justice (1801-1835), and his decision established the principle of judicial review."