The Supreme Court

Composed of 9 justices, the Supreme Court receives written petitions asking them to act. It could be a prisoner who believes they were wrongly convicted or a president defending his power. The Supreme Court of the United States is the most powerful judicial body on earth. The Supreme Court interprets a 200-year-old constitution. In all of American history, there have been over a hundred Supreme Court Justices, serving an average of 16 years. However, some remain on the bench twice as long. Justices are appointed through presidential nominations, which then have to be confirmed by the Senate. One justice said, "Being appointed to the Supreme Court is akin to being struck by lightning." The Supreme Court draws boundaries of government power, and tells the president, congress, and states what they may or may not do. The Supreme Court is often unable to avoid controversy due to its power, but Americans have come to accept the authority of the court. The Supreme Court receives more than a hundred new cases a week. They receive about 7,000 a year, but only a hundred are accepted for full consideration. Most petitions are written arguments attempting to persuade the Supreme Court that the lower court ruling was incorrect. The Justices receive petitions once a week. They are assisted by a small group of law clerks and secretaries. In Supreme Court hearings, lawyers on opposing sides of each case get 30 minutes to argue their case before the court.