Constitutions
The United States has this type of constitution, defined as written with specific sections
What is a codified constitution?
This senator famously told President Obama that "you will not fill this Supreme Court vacancy."
Who is Mitch McConnell?
From 1860-1935, the Supreme Court met in this part of the U.S. Capitol building.
What is the Old Senate Chamber?
This function of oral argument serves to facilitate agreement among the justices.
What is Building Coalitions?
This document served as the nation's first constitution, but was ultimately scrapped as it gave states too much power and authority.
What are the Articles of Confederation?
This characteristic of a constitution is based on flexibility and stability.
What is Durable and Elastic?
These type of courts represent the lowest level of the state court system.
What are trial courts?
The American Bar Association (ABA) historically considered many factors when evaluating potential Supreme Court nominees. Name one.
What is Integrity, Professional Competence, or Judicial Temperament.
This individual handles who writes the majority opinion when the Chief Justice is in the minority.
Who is the Senior Associate Justice?
This compromise at the Constitutional Convention allowed the House of Representatives to be made up by state population, and the Senate to be comprised of equal members from each state.
What is the Great Compromise?
A general purpose of constitutions centers on international relations and peaceful cooperation.
Rule of Law and Credible Commitments
Florida currently has this many county courts.
What is 67?
Supreme Court law clerks typically attend these types of law schools.
What are prestigious law schools? What are Harvard and Yale?
This type of Supreme Court opinion represents the lack of a majority consensus and can demonstrate a controversial societal issue.
What is a Plurality Opinion?
This branch of the U.S. government interprets laws.
What is the Judicial Branch?
A more conservative approach to constitutional interpretation focuses on the words as written.
What is textualism?
At the state level, this court represents the "court of last resort."
What is the State Supreme Court?
These "friend of the court" briefs are written by interest groups and other parties with a vested interest in a case's outcome.
What are amicus curiae briefs?
If a justice disagreed with the majority's opinion and reasoning, they would likely write this.
What is a dissenting opinion?
Examples of this term include the president vetoing congressionally-passed legislation and the Supreme Court ruling presidential actions unconstitutional.
What is Checks and Balances?
This approach to constitutional interpretation deals with precedent and prior case law.
What is Doctrinalism?
Thirteen appellate courts exist at the federal level, and most of them are split in this way.
What is geographically?
Nominated by Lyndon Baines Johnson, this justice was the first African-American to serve on the Court.
Who is Thurgood Marshall?
If a Supreme Court justice focused on following a strict interpretation of the Constitution, this term could be use to describe their thinking.
What is Judicial Restraint?
This can be described as a series of essays written in support of the new Constitution.
What are The Federalist Papers?