
How the Supreme Court Decides Which Cases to Hear
Learn why the Supreme Court hears only about 1 to 2 percent of petitions, how clerks screen thousands of cases, and what the Rule of Four…
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the country and the head of the federal judiciary. It has the final say on questions of federal law and the Constitution, and it hears a small share of the cases that ask for its review.
People usually want to know how justices are chosen, how the court selects its cases, how arguments and decisions work, what its rulings mean for lower courts, and how it fits with Congress and the president in the balance of power.
An independent team explaining how government works

Learn why the Supreme Court hears only about 1 to 2 percent of petitions, how clerks screen thousands of cases, and what the Rule of Four…

Most Americans will learn about Supreme Court decisions through news headlines, probably while scrolling their phones. What they won't see is the months of invisible maneuvering…

On February 20, the justices are expected to release opinions in cases involving Trump's tariff authority and Louisiana's congressional redistricting. Both rulings will trigger immediate implementation…

What it signals: The justices are deeply divided, not on whether President Trump's sweeping tariffs exceed his authority, but on something more fundamental. They're struggling to…
Ninety-five days after the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a high-stakes challenge to President Trump's executive tariff authority, the justices still have not…
On November 5, 2025, the Supreme Court heard what has been called the biggest legal test yet of the Trump administration's presidency. The justices…
The Supreme Court's shadow docket handles emergency orders. Its rules, legal tests and major cases explain what those decisions change and leave unresolved.
California and Arizona going to war over the Colorado River. New York blockading goods heading to New Jersey. These scenarios sound like alternate history…
The boundaries of free speech aren't obvious. They've been forged through real-world conflicts that forced the Supreme Court to answer difficult questions. What happens…
A single federal judge in Texas issues an order, and suddenly a new White House policy on immigration or environmental protection freezes across the…