Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court of the United States, the highest court in the United States of America, is the head of the Judicial Branch of the Federal Government.

Related Topics:
United States of America - Judicial - Branch

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It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justices, who are nominated by the President and confirmed with the "advice and consent" of the Senate. Appointed to serve for life, they can only be removed by Congress through the Impeachment process; although they may resign. No justice has ever been removed from office, though many have retired or resigned.

Related Topics:
Chief Justice of the United States - Associate Justices - President - Advice and consent - Senate - Congress - Impeachment

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The Supreme Court is the only court established by the United States Constitution; all other federal courts are created by Congress. The Court holds both original and appellate jurisdiction, but the latter is used quite a bit more often. Like other federal courts, the Supreme Court may exercise the power of judicial review, or the power to declare federal or state laws, as well as the actions of federal and state executives, unconstitutional. The decisions of the Supreme Court may not be appealed to any other body; as Justice Robert H. Jackson once famously remarked, "We are not final because we are infallible, but we are infallible only because we are final."

Related Topics:
United States Constitution - Congress - Judicial review - Robert H. Jackson

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The Supreme Court meets in Washington, D.C., in the U.S. Supreme Court building. The court is sometimes referred to by the acronyms SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) and USSC (United States Supreme Court).

Related Topics:
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Supreme Court building - Acronym

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