Need some information on the U.S. Supreme Court? You came to the right place. There are links to three of the best sites and a link to the Court's official website as well as one to the Office of the Solicitor General. The Solicitor General is sometimes called the Tenth Justice of the United States.
John Marshall is the greatest of the greats, the
first
Chief Justice with substantial power, he turned the Court into a viable
institution. He was Thomas Jefferson's cousin but they disliked each
other
immensely.
Here are some websites that will allow you to see
what
cases are before the Court, look at recent decisions, discuss the
process
of judicial decision making, have biographies of the justices and in
one
case, even have a quiz relating the Supreme Court to baseball.
The Cornell University site is the most complete of the sites devoted to the Supreme Court. It has an archive of past decisions, full treatment of the cases before the Court, biographies of the justices, a glossary of legal terms, and copies of the briefs.
Oyez, Oyez, Oyez is the beginning of the chant that opens proceedings at the Supreme Court. It is also the name of this Northwestern University website that lets you listen to the actual oral arguments. It has a virtual tour of the Supreme Court building and the Oyez baseball quiz.
The University of Pittsburgh site has a variety of things beyond the Supreme Court. There is also a link to this website on the pre-law page. It has news about the Court as well as commentary. It will link you to the Cornell site.
SCOTUS: stands for Supreme Court of the United States. This is the official government website for the Court. It has the current cases, the rules, and public information.
Justice William Brennan served for over thirty
years.
Some consider him the most important figure in American politics in the
second half of the 20th century. His fingerprints are all over many of
the most important decisions of the time.
Chief Justice Earl Warren presided over a virtual
constitutional
revolution. His Court's liberal activism was instrumental in school
desegregation,
expanding the First Amendment, and protecting the rights of the
accused.
Dwight Eisenhower, who appointed Warren and Brennan, was said to remark
that they were the biggest two mistakes of his administration.
This is
former Colorado All-American and former Detroit Lion star running back
Whizzer White, who later went on to a long career on the U.S. Supreme
Court.
White was a Kennedy appointee.
This is Justice William O. Douglas, who had the longest service on the Supreme Court. He was a brilliant iconoclast whose liberal decisions and life style angered many in Washington.
Hugo
Black was appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt to embarass the Court by
lowering
its stature. He had been a member of KKK. Yet he went on to protect
civil
rights and individual liberties and is considered one of the greatest
justices
of all time.
The Office of
the
Solicitor General is found in the Department of Justice. The SG
files
cases on behalf of the US government, enters cases as amicus curiae,
and
generally controls all litigation involving the US beyond the District
Court level. Some consider it the greatest law firm in the country. The
Office has tremendous success in having its cases accepted and in
winning
on the merits.