Overview of the United States Supreme Court

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The Supreme Court: The Judicial Branch

“I believe that the establishment of the Supreme Court of the United States as a constitutional court … is the most significant single contribution the United States has made to the art of government.”
—Former Chief Justice William Rehnquist

The Supreme Court is the highest form of judicial authority in the United States. Only nine justices are given responsibility over the monumental judgments of the court, which handles matters of constitutional and federal law. Each vote is extremely influential in the structure and application of the American judicial system.

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Overview of the United States Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court is the general overseer of the entire American judicial system, and has more authority than any other court in the country. In fact, it was the only court identified by the Constitution in 1787. Much of the Supreme Court’s significance rests in its jurisdiction over both federal and lower-state issues. However, the Court is so significant that it only handles major cases or legal controversies where the law at large is in dispute. This section of the guide clarifies the form and function of the Supreme Court.

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SCOTUS is an acronym you will frequently come across during a Supreme Court search. It means Supreme Court of the United States.

If at any point in your research you are confused about the legal terminology you encounter, visit Oyez’s glossary of Supreme Court terms.

If you’re interested in reading more about the Supreme Court, three acclaimed books on the topic are: The Brethren, by Bob Woodward and Scott Armstrong, Jeffrey Toobin’s The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court, and Toobin’s 2001 work, Too Close to Call: The Thirty-Six-Day Battle to Decide the 2000 Election.

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Supreme Court of the United States is the official Web site of the Supreme Court. This site has virtually everything you need to know about the Court, detailing how it functions now, and how its practices developed. This should be the first place you look for Supreme Court information and court documents. Find out how to pay a visit to the Court through this site, or browse through records and cases. Download this PDF which gives a basic overview of how the court functions.

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Supreme Court Rules , presented by the Legal Information Institute of Cornell Law School, indexes the rules that dictate the Court’s function for the current season. Each rule is hyperlinked, giving you a sense of legal language; examples include “Argument Pro Hac Vice,” and “Process; Mandates.” You’ll learn about the role of the clerk, the Supreme Court library, what a term entails, and much more.

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The World Almanac for Kids uses simple language to explain the jurisdiction of and the nomination process for the Supreme Court. It’s a good place to start if you aren’t yet familiar with the Supreme Court. You’ll find a list of all the justices who have served on the Supreme Court, with the chief justices in bold. The site is helpful for kids and adults alike who want a concise yet thorough understanding of the Court.

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