Key Terms & Rules
What is the highest court in the United States?
The United States Supreme Court
A case begins with witnesses and evidence being shown for the first time. Which court is this?
Trial Court (Local or State Court)
This is the #1 largest public HBCU (Historically Black College or University) in the nation, known for its school pride, marching band, and alumni influence.
North Carolina A&T State University
This 1803 case gave the Supreme Court the power of judicial review, allowing it to declare laws unconstitutional.
Marbury v. Madison
This person is the current Chief Justice of the United States.
John Roberts
What is the name of the request asking the Supreme Court to hear a case?
Writ of Certiorari
A case reaches this court only if four of nine justices agree to hear it. Which court is this?
The United States Supreme Court.
Finish the lyric:
I just pulled up in that mother***** --- gone
Me and BoBo.....
In this mother***** clutchin, what you on?
This 1954 case ruled that “separate but equal” schools were unconstitutional, ending racial segregation in public education.
Brown v. Board of Education
Appointed in 2022, she is the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.
Ketanji Brown Jackson
What is the “Rule of Four?"
A rule that states that at least four justices must agree to hear a case.
A local business owner is accused of not following city safety codes. Lawyers present witnesses, show video evidence, and the judge (or jury) decides if the business is guilty or not.
Local or State Court
He broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947 when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, paving the way for integration in sports.
In this case, the Court said Congress went too far when it used the Commerce Clause to make a federal gun-free school law — limiting federal power.
United States v. Lopez
She became the first Hispanic woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2009.
Sonia Sotomayor
What is a majority opinion?
The official written decision of the Court that explains its ruling.
The judges in this court review whether laws were applied correctly, but no new evidence or witnesses are presented. Which court is this?
The Appeals Court
This Chicago rapper’s 2023 album Almost Healed was recently certified Platinum, marking over 1 million units sold or streamed.
Lil Durk
This 1819 case decided that a state could not tax a national bank, strengthening the power of the federal government over the states.
McCulloch v. Maryland
He became the first Black man appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1967 and was known for fighting for civil rights.
Thurgood Marshall
What is a dissenting opinion?
The written explanation from justices who disagree with the majority’s decision.
A group of teachers sues their state, claiming that the state’s new education law breaks the state constitution. The case has already gone through the state’s lower courts, and now the judges in the highest state court will make the final decision about the law.
State Supreme Court
He became the first Hispanic player in Major League Baseball in 1911, opening doors for future Latino athletes in professional baseball.
Esteban Bellán
Explain what the court case Hernandez v. Texas (1954) was about.
This case ruled that Mexican Americans could not be excluded from juries, extending equal protection under the 14th Amendment.
She became the first woman ever appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1981.
Sandra Day O’Connor