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The very first bill introduced in the United States Senate was the Judiciary Act of 1789, led by Connecticut's Oliver Ellsworth. It divided the country in 13 judicial districts. They were further organized into the Eastern, Middle, and Southern circuits. The 1789 Act called for the Supreme Court to consist of a Chief Justice and only five Associate Justices, and for the Court to meet in the Nation's Capital. President Washington nominated John jay as the first Supreme Court chief justice.
The Supreme Court was first called to assemble on Feb. 1, 1790, in the Merchants exchange Building in New York City, then the Nation's Capital. Justice Jay happened to be a day late to the first day of court due to transportation problems. I suppose his horse threw a shoe? The Supreme Court spent its first session organizing itself and determining its own powers and duties. The new Justices heard and decided their first actual case in 1792. Lacking any specific direction from the Constitution, the new U.
S. Judiciary spent its first 10 or so years as the weakest of all three branches of the government. The early federal courts failed to issue strong opinions or even take on controversial cases. The Supreme Court was not even sure if it had the power to consider the constitutionality of laws passed by Congress. This situation seemed to have changed drastically in 1801 when President John Adams appointed John Marshall of Virginia to be the fourth Chief Justice. Confident that nobody would tell him not to, Marshall took clear and firm steps to define the role and powers of both the Supreme Court and the judiciary system.
This is something that seemed to have gone unnoticed so far. The Supreme Court, under John Marshall, defined itself with its historic 1803 decision in the case of Marbury v. Madison. In this single landmark case, the Supreme Court established its power to interpret the U. S.
Constitution and to determine the constitutionality of laws passed by congress and the state legislatures. John Marshall went on to serve as Chief Justice for a record 34 years, along with several Associate Justices who served for well over 20 years. During his time on the bench, Marshall succeeded in molding the federal judicial system into what many, as I do, consider to be today's most powerful branch of government. Before settling at nine justices in 1869, the number of Supreme Court Justices changed six times. In its entire history, the Supreme Court has had only 16 Chief Justices, and over 100 Associate Justices.
This is not that many considering that the court was established more than 230 years ago. It is considered to be the pinnacle of ones career I guess once you make it to the supreme court and it is kept as long as possible. Supreme Court Justices are nominated by the President of the United States. The nomination must be approved by two-thirds vote of the Senate.
The Justices serve until they either retire, die or are impeached. The average tenure for Justices is about 15 years, with a new Justice being appointed to the Court about every 22 months. Presidents appointing the most Supreme Court Justices include George Washington, with ten appointments and Franklin D. Roosevelt, who appointed eight Justices.
With the current age of two of the current justices, it will be surprising and will be historic to see who will be the next Chief justice. With the current court, every Friday during the court's term, which officially begins on the first Monday in October, the nine justices meet in a small, wood-paneled conference room to decide which cases they see fit worth hearing. They meet without any law clerks, secretaries or anyone else for that matter. The most junior justice present is seated nearest the door so he can respond if anyone knocks.
As the last resort for people who believe that lower courts have failed them and as the arbiter of the Constitution, the Supreme Court will simply by selecting a case and making a decision, immediately lift and change the lives and human situations where it contains to a national significance. Its rulings will affect not only the two contesting parties, as we know are the petitioner and respondent, but also may change life for all Americans for generations. A heavy responsibility.
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Research essay sample on Supreme Court Justices Passed By Congress
