SCOTUS Basics
This document outlines the structure and powers of the Supreme Court.
Answer: What is Article III of the Constitution?
This case guaranteed the right to an attorney for criminal defendants.
Answer: What is Gideon v. Wainwright?
Most cases reach the Supreme Court through this written request asking the Court to hear the case.
Answer: What is a writ of certiorari?
This power allows the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional.
Answer: What is judicial review?
Protections against government actions guaranteed by the Constitution.
Answer: What are civil liberties?
There is no age requirement, term limit, or formal education requirement to serve on this body.
Answer: What is the Supreme Court of the United States?
This case ruled that school officials must have reasonable suspicion to search students.
Answer: What is New Jersey v. T.L.O.?
At least this many justices must agree to hear a case.
Answer: What is four? (Rule of Four)
The case that established judicial review in 1803.
Answer: What is Marbury v. Madison?
Rights that protect individuals from discrimination by the government or others.
Answer: What are civil rights?
Justices are appointed for this length of time unless they resign, retire, or are impeached.
Answer: What is life (or a lifetime appointment)?
This case ended racial segregation in public schools.
Answer: What is Brown v. Board of Education?
The Supreme Court mainly hears cases involving this type of issue.
Answer: What are constitutional questions?
This philosophy believes judges should interpret the Constitution narrowly and avoid making policy.
Answer: What is judicial restraint?
Freedom of speech is an example of this type of right.
Answer: What is a civil liberty?
This branch of government has the expressed power to create lower federal courts.
Answer: What is the Legislative Branch (Congress)?
This case protected students’ right to free speech in schools.
Answer: What is Tinker v. Des Moines?
This term refers to the Court’s authority to choose which cases it hears.
Answer: What is appellate jurisdiction?
This philosophy supports judges taking an active role in shaping public policy.
Answer: What is judicial activism?
Equal protection under the law is an example of this type of right.
Answer: What is a civil right?
The Supreme Court is the highest court in this judicial system.
Answer: What is the federal court system?
This case required police to inform suspects of their rights before questioning.
Answer: What is Miranda v. Arizona?
Most cases reviewed by the Supreme Court come from these courts.
Answer: What are lower federal courts or state supreme courts?
Judicial review is implied, not stated, in this article of the Constitution.
Answer: What is Article III?
The 14th Amendment is especially important to protecting these rights.
Answer: What are civil rights?