American Government › Section M · The courts › Topic M.4
The Supreme Court
Thousands of people ask the Supreme Court to hear their case every year, and it agrees to hear only a tiny fraction. How nine justices choose their cases, who helps them, and how a case moves from petition to argument says a great deal about the Court's power.
In this topic
- Nine justices
- Ideological balance
- The Court's year and its helpers
- How cases arrive
- Worked example: reading a case name
- The rule of four and Rule 10
- The solicitor general
- Briefs and amicus curiae
- Worked example: will the Court take the case?
- Oral argument and the courtroom
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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