The History of The Supreme Court

     Prior to watching the Supreme Court Justice videos, I had only basic knowledge of what the Supreme Court does and its history.  One of the first things I picked up on is the format that the Supreme Court follows daily.  It is a public courtroom where national questions are argued and is the most powerful judicial body on earth. I was never aware of how much weight the Supreme Court truly held. I learned that the Supreme Court hears cases in public and then participates in an oral argument with nine of the nation’s highest officials.  

A key takeaway that I found while watching the videos is how difficult it is to be a Supreme Court Justice and how much pressure lies within the position. It was very interesting to get an insight of what it is like to be inside the courtroom and in these positions. One Justice explained that, “Being appointed to the Supreme Court is akin to being struck by lightning.” After voting on cases, a justice on the majority side is assigned to write an opinion outlining legal reasons for the decision. Written opinions can run anywhere from a few pages to 80 pages or more based on whether it is a unanimous decision or a divided court. Along with writing a majority opinion, justices are sometimes inclined to write a separate opinion dissenting from decision or disagreeing with the reasoning. Drafts take up to four weeks to write, are sent to the nine justices, and may be redrafted up to twelve times. Their main purpose is to persuade others, and opinions and decisions must be released for all current cases by the end of term in late June. Opinion writing is the most time consuming part of a justice’s work. It is no doubt that the justices hold one of most important positions in the United States Government System. 

     This video made me realize how vital the Supreme Court is to our nation. The Supreme Court must interpret a 200-year-old constitution, safeguard liberty, preserve union, and uphold rule of law.  Although the court doesn’t decide everything, all crucial issues are addressed sooner rather than later by the Supreme Court. Their power rests on public faith, independence, and partiality. There have only been just over 100 Supreme Court justices in American history, and presidents often try to shape the court with their nominations. Without these justices, I feel as if the nation would be at odds with a lot of public opinion. It appears to be the most ethical and fair way to reach decision on petitions and laws. As the video stated, “If the court ever stopped defending the constitution, or the people ever stopped listening, then one of the treasure that keeps this the freest nation in the world would cease to exist.”