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Supreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest authority in the country's judicial system. The court's primary role is to interpret the US Constitution and ensure laws and policies align with the nation's founding legal document. It also resolves legal disputes involving the federal government's authority and serves as the final appellate body, hearing appeals from lower federal and state courts.
The US Constitution established an independent judiciary in Article III, though most details were left undefined. The Judiciary Act of 1789 structured the federal judiciary, setting the Supreme Court at six justices. The court remained relatively weak until Chief Justice John Marshall established judicial review in Marbury v. Madison, asserting the court's authority to invalidate acts of Congress that conflict with the Constitution and cementing the court's status as a coequal branch of government.
Today, the court has nine justices with life appointments—though the number can be changed through a simple act of Congress. While it hears only a small fraction of cases, its rulings shape American life through decisions on civil rights, federal power, elections, economic and environmental regulation, criminal justice, and deeply contested social issues.Explore Supreme Court of the United States
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How much does sports betting generate?According to 2025 data, sports betting generated $2.7B in state tax revenue. That number has increased every year since the government began collecting data in 2021. USAFactsReynolds v. United States (1878) established that religious belief is not a defense for a crimeIn the first major Supreme Court case on the free exercise clause, the court ruled that the government cannot regulate religious belief, but it can regulate religious practice if it violates the law. The case arose from a Mormon man convicted of polygamy who argued his faith required it. OyezThe Supreme Court's first major free-speech ruling rested on a legal standard that was later overturnedIn Schenck v. United States (1919), the court introduced the "clear and present danger" test—permitting the government to restrict speech that posed an immediate threat to public safety. Although the doctrine was later replaced, the ruling upheld the conviction of a man who had distributed anti-draft pamphlets. OyezNot all speech in the United States is protectedThis page explains the categories of speech—including defamation, incitement, true threats, fraud, and obscenity—the Supreme Court has placed outside First Amendment protection and how courts determine which standard to apply when speech is challenged. Hear about the secret room where your rights are decidedA court designed to be the least powerful branch became one of the most influential institutions in history. 1440 Explores host Sony Kassam dives inside the Supreme Court of the United States, with help from Yale law professor Akhil Reed Amar, to uncover how it gained extraordinary authority, what really happens behind closed doors, and why its power has become one of the most fiercely contested questions in modern democracy. 1440 OriginalsThe Senate must approve top presidential appointmentsUnder Article II of the Constitution, the United States Senate provides "advice and consent" on presidential nominees. This resource displays the outcome of every Cabinet nomination since Jimmy Carter's presidency and every Supreme Court nomination in US history. Senate.govLenny Bruce was arrested for obscenity seven times The first was in 1961, after performing at the Jazz Workshop in San Francisco. Subsequent arrests were in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. He died of a morphine overdose in 1966, a year and a half after being found guilty of his New York charge. UMKC School of LawPhotography and video are prohibited in the Supreme Court—but artists are notBecause cameras are banned inside the Supreme Court of the United States, courtroom artists document proceedings through sketches. This exhibition features works from 1964 to today, capturing the human drama of landmark cases and shaping how Americans visualize justice. The Library of CongressThe Supreme Court term runs from October to JuneThe Supreme Court of the United States begins each term on the first Monday in October, alternating two-week sittings and recesses, hearing arguments mainly on Mondays through Wednesdays, and deciding which of thousands of petitions will receive full review. Supreme CourtExplore biographies of every justice who has served on the Supreme CourtThis archive traces the whole history of the Supreme Court of the United States through detailed biographies of every justice, outlining their backgrounds, appointments, and the legal eras and decisions they helped shape. Justia LawThe separation of powers is a pivotal component of the US ConstitutionExplore how the three branches interact through the Supreme Court case of US v. Alvarez. The Supreme Court first struck down a law, then Congress and the president later revised it—illustrating how judicial review can reshape legislation and executive action. United States CourtsA 1948 Supreme Court ruling realigned the film industry1948's landmark United States v. Paramount Pictures found that the "Big Five" studios violated antitrust laws, effectively ending the reign of the vertically integrated system and the golden age of Hollywood. National Constitution Center
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