Blog #2: Supreme Court

Although I was previously uninformed, I learned a lot about both the Supreme Court and some specific Chief Justices while watching the two videos. 

History

The first thing I learned was about the rise of the court. I was unaware that the Judicial Branch was viewed as less powerful than the others at some point in time. In fact, it wasn't until Chief Justice John Marshall struck down an unconstitutional act of Congress in the early 1800s that respect was raised for the court, and the Judicial Branch was finally seen as equal to the other branches.

Chief Justice Feelings

The first video gave an in-depth view into what the Chief Justices think and feel while occupying this position. Chief Justice David H. Souter reflected on the beginning of his term when he was advised that it would take him several years to settle into the role and not feel as overwhelmed. This was interesting to hear because it reminded me that the Chief Justices are just people and also feel emotions like stress and overwhelm.

With this information, I was interested to hear from Justices who have become comfortable in their role. Firstly, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor shared how she believes that it is important for each Justice to shake one another's hands before they have a conference. She reasons that the physical contact allows the Justices to begin on a friendly note. Hearing her insights allows me to get a feel for what the energy in the conference room is like as a Justice.

Secondly, Justice Clarence Thomas shared that he likes to approach conferences with an outline of what his decision for each case will be. With this system, he says that his opinion might change during the conference, but it is unlikely. I found it intriguing to hear about his personal habits to feel prepared for his duties as a Justice.

Overall, this part of the video was informational, and I felt like I received insider advice for becoming a successful Chief Justice.

The Process

I previously had no knowledge of the process that Justices go through when granting or denying certiorari. The second video explained each step, beginning with the Justices asking the lawyers questions for 30 minutes each and hearing their arguments. From there, the Justices privately gather in a conference room to discuss and vote on the case. 

Once a decision is reached, a Justice on the majority side is assigned to write an opinion that explains the legal reasoning behind the choice. Any Justice can write another opinion that disagrees with that view or agrees with different reasoning. The opinion drafts are sent to all nine Justices as they try to get each other in agreement. I was surprised to learn about how long of a process this can be. Once the final decision is made, the opinions are released to the press so they can report the court's decision and reasoning to the people.

The videos taught me about how important of a role being Chief Justice is and increased my respect for them further. They also emphasized the importance of the court having the trust of the American people. Without it, the court would have no power, according to the videos.

Before watching these videos, I had minimal knowledge about the Supreme Court and its Justices. Now, I am informed about the court's history, processes, and the duty of the Justices.