Supreme Court Reflection

Our Supreme Court is the most powerful one on earth

After watching a video about the U.S. Supreme Court, I came away with a much deeper appreciation for how the Court functions and why it plays such an important role in American government.

Lady Justice

One of the first things that stood out to me was the Court's structure. The Supreme Court consists of nine justices, and every year they receive roughly 7,000 petitions asking them to review cases. Considering the volume of requests they receive, I was surprised to learn that every petition receives individual consideration before the justices decide which cases they will hear.

The justices meet weekly to determine which cases the Court will accept. By the time a case reaches the Supreme Court, the facts have already been established in the lower courts. The Court's job is not to retry the facts but to determine whether the law was applied correctly and whether the law is constitutional.

The most surprising thing I learned was the number of cases submitted each year. I had no idea the Court reviewed around 7,000 petitions annually. That statistic alone helped me understand the enormous responsibility placed on the justices.

John Marshall

Another point that caught my attention was how the justices approach their work. According to the video, they often enter conference discussions with an opinion already formed about a case. Their views do not frequently change during those conferences, which I found interesting because I assumed the discussions would be more likely to alter their decisions.

The video also highlighted important moments in the Court's history. John Marshall helped establish the Supreme Court as a respected and independent branch of government by striking down an act of Congress as unconstitutional. The discussion of the Fourteenth Amendment showed how it became an important protection for individuals against state power.

My biggest takeaway is that the legitimacy of the Supreme Court rests on the Constitution, while its power ultimately depends on public faith and trust. Before watching this video, I viewed the Court as a distant institution. Now, I see the justices as people working through difficult human dilemmas while giving serious consideration to the cases brought before them.