Blog Post #2 Supreme Court Reflection

 

The US Supreme Court building.

Before watching this video, I knew the Supreme Court was the highest court in the United States, but I did not fully understand how much influence it has or how selective it is in choosing cases.

One of the first things I learned is that the Court is made up of nine justices who review petitions submitted from around the country. What surprised me most was the number of cases they turn away. The Court receives about 7,000 new cases each year but only accepts around 100 of them. I had no idea the selection process was that competitive.

Another interesting point was how the justices interpret a Constitution that is more than 200 years old. Even though the document was written centuries ago, the Court continues to apply it to modern legal questions. That responsibility alone shows how important the Court is to the American government.

I was also interested to learn that Supreme Court justices serve for an average of 16 years, and many remain on the bench even longer. Because they serve for such long periods, their decisions can have a lasting impact on the country.

Supreme Court Justice John Marshall

The video also highlighted the importance of Chief Justice John Marshall, who became chief justice in 1801. His most famous ruling came in Marbury v. Madison, a case that established the Court's power to strike down acts of Congress that are unconstitutional. During Marshall's time, the Supreme Court gained respect and became a more influential institution.

One takeaway that stood out to me is that the justices do not always enter discussions with fixed opinions. In conference, they discuss the cases and can change their views as they consider different arguments. I found that aspect of the decision-making process especially interesting.

Overall, the video changed the way I think about the Supreme Court. I now see it as much more than a court that simply decides legal disputes. It is a small group of justices making decision.

AI DISCLOSURE: This post was a collaboration using Microsoft Copilot. I took detailed notes while watching a 20 minute video about the history of the Supreme Court. In addition to facts that I learned, I emphasized my own reactions and opinions while watching. I then asked Copilot to help me improve the text by correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation. I then asked Copilot to help me shape the text into a blog post format. After reviewing the text, I added links to related resources, as well as, appropriate images and captions.