C H A P T E R 18 - The Federal Court System
SECTION 3 The Supreme Court
Court Sessions
•
The Court runs in session from the first ________________ in _____________________
into _________________. They take a break from mid-June until October.
•
The Court works in _____ __________ _____________ – hearing cases for 2 weeks then
researching and writing briefs of those cases then Repeating. Then Repeating. Then
Repeating……
Judicial Review
•
__________________ ____________________ refers to the power of a court to
determine the ____________________________ of a _____________________action.
•
The Supreme Court first asserted its power of judicial review in the case of
__________________ v. _______________________ (1803).
•
The Court’s decision laid the foundation for its involvement in the development of the
American system of government.
Supreme Court Jurisdiction
•
The Supreme Court has both ____________________ and __________________ jurisdiction.
•
The Court has original jurisdiction over cases….. (Refer to your notes from Section 1, you have a
complete list there)
•
___________ ____________ heard by the Court are _________________ cases. The Court
hears only _____ to ______ cases in which it has_____________ jurisdiction per _________.
How Cases Reach the Supreme Court

RULE OF FOUR: For a case to be heard by the Court,__________ of _________ judges must
agree that it should be placed on the Court’s docket.
Writ of Certiorari
•
Most cases reach the Court via _________ of ___________________, an ______________ to a
____________________ __________________ to send a _____________ in a given case for its
review.
Certificate
•
Cases can reach the Court by _______________ when a ______________ ______________
asks for the Court to certify the answer to a specific question in the matter.
C H A P T E R 18 - The Federal Court System
SECTION 3 The Supreme Court
Appealing a Case to the Supreme Court
How the Supreme Court Operates
_________________ / _____________________ _____________
•
Briefs are written documents filed with the Court before oral arguments begin.
______________ ____________________
•
Once the Supreme Court accepts a case, it sets a date on which lawyers on both sides
will present oral arguments. (just 30 minutes per side)
The Court in Conference
•
The Chief Justice presides over a closed-door conference in which justices
________________ _______________ ________________ on the case(s) at hand.
Opinions of the Supreme Court….
The ____________________ _________________________ , formally called the ________________ of
the ______________ , announces the Court’s decision in a case and its __________ on which it is based.
_________________ opinions are sometimes authored by justices to __________ or emphasize a point
that was not made in the majority opinion.
__________________________ opinions are often written by those justices who _____________
__________ ______________ with the Court's majority opinion.
C H A P T E R 18 - The Federal Court System
SECTION 3 The Supreme Court
The____________________ opinions stand as precedents, or examples to be followed in similar cases
as they arise in the lower courts or reach the Supreme Court.