SEMINAR 1 The Supreme Court of the United States Learning Outcomes By the end of this seminar, you should: . understand the SC's place in the constitution, its role and its methods of adjudication · know who the current SC Justices are · be aware of the political landscape in which the SC operates Background Reading and Viewing Oxford Handbook of the US Constitution, Chapter 10 'The Constitutional Politics of the Judiciary' and Chapter 19 'The Power of Judicial Review' Legal Information Institute Annotated Constitution, Article Three: https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan/article-3 (Some of this is rather technical, and way more than you need for this module, so a brief engagement is fine if you do decide to access it). Essential Reading, Listening and Viewing: https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx Murill 'Modes of Constitutional Interpretation' https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R45129.pdf Supreme Court Historical Society 'FDR and the Court Packing Controversy' https://supremecourthistory.org/schs-fdr-courtpacking-controversy/ (15-20 minutes) Buck v Bell 274 US 200 (1927) Fresh Air 'The Supreme Court Ruling That Led To 70,000 Forced Sterilizations' https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/03/07/469478098/the- supreme-court-ruling-that-led-to-70-000-forced-sterilizations? t=1659973570922 (35 minutes) Harris 'Why Buck v Bell Still Matters' https://blog.petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2020/10/14/why-buck-v-bell-still- matters/ Questions
1. How many Justices are there? Who are the current Justices? Who is Chief Justice? What is the role of the Chief Justice? What is the 'rule of four'? Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. Justice Clarence Thomas Justice Stephen G. Breyer Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. Justice Sonia Sotomayor Justice Elena Kagan Justice Neil M. Gorsuch Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh Justice Amy Coney Barrett The role of the Chief Justice includes several important responsibilities: Presiding Over Oral Arguments: The Chief Justice presides over the oral arguments, ensuring that the proceedings run smoothly and that each Justice has an opportunity to ask questions. Administrative Duties: The Chief Justice oversees the administrative functions of the Supreme Court, including assigning Justices to write majority opinions when they are in the majority, managing the Court's budget, and representing the Court in interactions with the President and Congress. 1. Managing the budget of the court 2. Representing the court with interactions with Congress and the president 3. Oversees the administrative function of the Supreme Court. Leadership in Conference: During the Justices' private conferences, the Chief Justice's views carry no greater weight than those of the other Justices, but they play a significant role in shaping the discussion and facilitating consensus. Swearing In the President: The Chief Justice administers the oath of office to the President of the United States during the inauguration ceremony. The "rule of four" is a practice in the Supreme Court that allows four Justices to grant a writ of certiorari (agree to hear a case) out of the thousands of petitions received each year. If four or more Justices are interested in a particular case, they vote to grant certiorari, and the case proceeds to full argument before the Court. This rule helps ensure that important or controversial cases get a hearing before the Supreme Court. 2. Why might an ultimate constitutional interpreter be needed?
An ultimate constitutional interpreter, typically represented by a country's highest