court basics
The authority of a court to hear a case for the first time.
The total number of justices that currently sit on the Supreme Court
What is nine?
Previous judicial decisions that shape the legal decisions of other courts.
Federal judges are appointed by the President and must be confirmed by this body.
Appointed in 1981, she was the first woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice.
Sandra Day O’Connor
The system in the U.S. where both state and federal courts have their own separate jurisdictions.
What is the Dual Court System?
This 1803 landmark case established the principle of judicial review.
What is Marbury v. Madison
A justice who agrees with the majority decision but for different legal reasons might write this.
What is a concurring opinion
According to Article III, federal judges hold their offices for this long, provided they maintain "good behavior".
What is life
He is the only person in U.S. history to serve as both President and Chief Justice.
Who is
William Howard Taft
These federal courts, numbering 94, are the general trial courts of the federal system.
What are District Courts
The power of the Supreme Court to declare laws or executive actions unconstitutional.
What is judicial review
This constitutional protection prevents someone from being tried twice for the same crime.
What is double jeopardy
This branch of government has the power to determine the shape and structure of the federal judiciary.
What is the Legislative Branch (Congress)
This Chief Justice, serving from 1801 to 1835, is credited with making the Court a co-equal branch of government.
John Marshall
The type of jurisdiction held by courts that hear cases on appeal from lower courts.
What is appellate jurisdiction?
An order by a higher court directing a lower court to send up a case for review.
What is a writ of certiorari
The standard of proof used in criminal cases, requiring the state to prove guilt with high certainty.
What is beyond a reasonable doubt
The primary way a federal judge can be removed from office for misconduct.
He was the youngest person ever appointed to the Supreme Court, joining at the age of 32.
Joseph Story
When an appeals court sends a case back to a lower court to be tried again.
What is remanding
This justice, appointed in 1967, was the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court.
Who is Thurgood Marshall
A philosophy that posits courts should look beyond the literal words of the Constitution to interpret the law.
This essay by Alexander Hamilton argued that the judiciary would be the "least dangerous" branch.
This justice, who served until age 90, is known for his "Great Dissenter" reputation and his influence on modern legal thought.
Who is
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
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