Introducing
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The Term Begins
Court is in session from October until June or July
Justices work in two-week blocks, first hearing arguments from lawyers and then ruling on cases presented
Each justice has four law clerks as assistants
Briefs and Oral Arguments
Justices first study briefs, then hear oral arguments; lawyers usually have 30 minutes to present their side of a case; Justices ask questions
Selecting Cases
Court usually chooses which cases it hears; most cases come from federal court of appeals; others from high state courts or are cases of Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction
If Court grants appellant a writ of certiorari, it agrees to hear the case; if denied, lower court’s ruling stands
If case is on Court’s docket, usually it deals with important issue of constitutional or federal law