That changed with John Marshall. As Chief Justice, Marshall dramatically increased the Court's authority, establishing its right to decide whether laws align with the Constitution.
This shift crystallized in the landmark case Marbury v. Madison in 1803. The ruling established judicial review, the power of courts to determine whether government actions or laws are constitutional. It was a turning point that helped make the Judicial Branch a true equal to the other two branches of government.
Today, the Court is made up of nine justices. They aren't elected; instead, the President nominates them and the Senate confirms them. Their loyalty lies with the law and the Constitution rather than with voters, and the Court's authority ultimately rests on whether the public and government continue to respect its rulings. Interestingly, only a few hundred people have ever served as justices, and the average tenure is about 16 years.
The Court can't simply choose issues to weigh in on. A genuine legal case must work its way up through the lower courts first. Thousands of requests arrive each year, but only a small fraction are ever heard.
To get a case in front of the justices, a party files a Writ of Certiorari. At least four of the nine justices must agree to hear it, a standard known as the Rule of Four. From there, both sides submit written briefs, lawyers present oral arguments, and the justices deliberate privately before reaching a decision. What stands out most is just how many cases the Court turns away every year.
