SCOTUS Landmark Cases
This foundational 1803 Supreme Court case established the power of "judicial review"
What is Marbury v. Madison?
According to Article III of the U.S. Constitution, this is the primary job of the judicial branch.
What is to interpret the laws?
This Latin term refers to a "friend of the court" who submits a brief to influence a case.
What is Amicus Curiae?
This is the lowest tier in the federal court system, where most federal trials and lawsuits begin.
What is U.S. District Courts?
This current Chief Justice of the United States was nominated by President George W. Bush.
Who is John Roberts?
This landmark 1954 decision ruled that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.
What is Brown v. Board of Education?
This is the title given to the leader of the U.S. Supreme Court
What is the Chief Justice?
This term refers to a prior judicial decision that serves as a rule or guide for similar cases in the future.
What is a precedent?
This is the middle tier of the federal judiciary, which hears appeals from the district courts.
What are the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals?
She was the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court
Who is Sandra Day O'Connor?
This 1966 case established that police must inform suspects of their constitutional rights before questioning them.
What is Miranda v. Arizona?
This is the standard number of justices that serve on the Supreme Court.
What is nine?
This is the formal written order issued by the Supreme Court agreeing to hear a lower court's case.
What is a writ of certiorari?
This is the number of regional judicial circuits in the U.S. federal court system.
What is 13?
He is the only person in U.S. history to serve as both President of the United States and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Who is William Howard Taft?
This 1969 case ruled that students do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate".
What is Tinker v. Des Moines?
Supreme Court justices and federal judges serve terms of this length.
What is for life (or during good behavior)?
This term describes the authority of a court to be the very first to hear a case.
What is original jurisdiction?
This type of jurisdiction means that only federal courts (and not state courts) have the authority to hear a specific type of case.
What is exclusive jurisdiction?
This is the total number of individuals who have served as Supreme Court Justices throughout American history.
What is 116?
This 2000 Supreme Court case effectively resolved the disputed presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore.
What is Bush v. Gore?
This is how a Supreme Court justice gets their job
What is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate?
This is the power of the courts to review and invalidate laws or government actions that violate the Constitution.
What is judicial review?
This term refers to when both state and federal courts share the authority to hear the same type of case.
What is concurrent jurisdiction?
He is the only Supreme Court Justice to also be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Who is Byron "Whizzer" White?