Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and such number 
of Associate Justices as may be fixed by Congress. The number of Associate Justices is 
currently fixed at eight (28 U. S. C. §1). Power to nominate the Justices is vested in the 
President of the United States, and appointments are made with the advice and consent of 
the Senate. Article III, §1, of the Constitution further provides that "[t]he Judges, both 
of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and 
shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be 
diminished during their Continuance in Office." 
Court Officers assist the Court in the performance of its functions. They include the 
Administrative Assistant to the Chief Justice, the Clerk, the Reporter of Decisions, the 
Librarian, the Marshal, the Director of Budget and Personnel, the Court Counsel, the 
Curator, the Director of Data Systems, and the Public Information Officer. The Administrative Assistant is appointed by the Chief Justice. The Clerk, Reporter of Decisions, 
Librarian, and Marshal are appointed by the Court. All other Court Officers are appointed 
by the Chief Justice in consultation with the Court. 
== Source of Authority ==
Article III, §1, of the Constitution provides that "[t]he judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior 
Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish." The Supreme Court 
of the United States was created in accordance with this provision and by authority of the 
Judiciary Act of September 24, 1789 (1 Stat. 73). It was organized on February 2, 1790. 
 Jurisdiction . According to the Constitution (Art. III, §2): 
"The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this 
Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be 
made, under their Authority;--to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls;--to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction;--to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party;--to Controversies between two or 
more States;--between a State and Citizens of another State;--between Citizens of different States;--between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of 
different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens 
or Subjects. 
"In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public ministers and Consuls, and those in 
which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all 
the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction, 
both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make." 
Appellate jurisdiction has been conferred upon the Supreme Court by various statutes, 
under the authority given Congress by the Constitution. The basic statute effective at 
this time in conferring and controlling jurisdiction of the Supreme Court may be found in 
28 U. S. C. §1251 et seq., and various special statutes. 
 Rulemaking Power . Congress has from time to time conferred upon the Supreme 
Court power to prescribe rules of procedure to be followed by the lower courts of the United 
States. See 28 U. S. C. §2071 et seq. 
 The Term. The Term of the Court begins, by law, on the first Monday in October 
and lasts until the first Monday in October of the next year. Approximately 8,000 petitions are filed with the Court in the course of a Term. In addition, some 1,200 applications 
of various kinds are filed each year that can be acted upon by a single Justice. 
== The Justices ==
===Chief Justice of the United States===
*John G. Roberts, Jr.
===Associate Justices===
*John Paul Stevens
*Antonin Scalia
*Anthony M. Kennedy
*David H. Souter
*Clarence Thomas
*Ruth Bader Ginsburg
*Stephen G. Breyer
*Samuel Alito
== External links ==
*Supreme Court of the United States
*Oyez Supreme Court Multimedia - MP3s of the Oral Arguements
*US Supreme Court cases - All published US Supreme Court decisions since 1790 (volume 1) from Justia.us 
*The Supreme Court Historical Society
Category:Constitutional courts
United States, Supreme Court of the
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