Learning About the Supreme Court

It's not uncommon for people to recognize the words "supreme" and "court" when put together in a sentence, but I wonder how many people truly understand the power the Supreme Court has. I certainly didn't understand fully until today. After watching the two part video (part 1 & part 2) detailing what the Supreme Court does, I was surprised by how much I didn't know. 

The United States Supreme Court Building

What did you learn about the Supreme Court that you didn't already know? 

Right off the bat I was learning new things while watching the first video. I knew that the Supreme Court is very powerful within the US, but I didn't realize that it is also considered the most powerful court in the world. The second thing I learned was how independent the court is. In order to become a Justice, the current president has to nominate someone for the position. It is known that residents will try to control some of the decisions that the Supreme Court makes by nominating specific people. However, once the new Justice is confirmed by the Senate, they are primarily concerned with what is considered right by the constitution. Thus meaning the President, nor the general public, has any direct influence on the rulings the Supreme Court comes to.  

I also learned that when it comes time to make a decision about a case the nine Justices gather alone in their conference room. The public part of the case only consists of the two opposing sides getting their opinions heard and questioned. It is in private where the Justices argue amongst themselves and decide which side they are on. 

What is the most important take-away point about the Supreme Court? 

I think the most important take-away from the videos is the fact that the Supreme Court is a public court. I was under the impression that only the highest level lawyers or officials could bring a case to the Justices, but that isn't true. Anyone who feels that their constitutional rights have been violated by the government can write to the Supreme Court and they will review it. 

Current Supreme Court Justices
Back Row (left to right): Brett Kavanaugh, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch,  Amy Coney Barret
Front Row (left to right): Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John Roberts,
Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor

What was the most surprising thing you learned?

The thing that surprised me the most was the number of cases the Supreme Court receives every week; approximately 100. This comes to a total of 7,000 a year, but they usually only take on 100 out of those 7,000 cases each year. I was also baffled at how long the written opinion documents can be after a case is settled; they can be up to 80 pages long! However, I would think that only a very controversial or ethically difficult case would result in an opinion that long. 

How did the video change the way you thought of the Supreme Court?

Watching the video definitely brought the Supreme Court "closer to home" in my mind. Beforehand, it was a powerful, government entity that I was nowhere near. Now, I realize that the Supreme Court is there for the people (mostly), not the government. Overall, now I think about the Supreme Court as my rights top line of defense.