The Role of Congress

• The Constitution gives Congress the power to decide the size of the Supreme Court and make other decisions about the way it functions. In 2010, nine justices were on the court -- eight associate justices and one chief justice. Congress has given the Supreme Court jurisdiction over federal appellate cases in addition to other rare circumstances outlined in the Constitution.
  
  

Justices

• The Supreme Court often determines if laws are consitutional.Justice image by MVit from Fotolia.com
  
  The chief justice has the most seniority regardless of his length of tenure. The seniority of the eight associate justices is based on the length of time they have served on the court. The justices speak, vote and sit in order of seniority. Barring major impropriety, justices keep their seat on the court for life or until they choose to retire.
  
  

Cases

• The justices determine which cases will be heard. Ten thousand cases are filed each year, but only a fraction of these are heard by the Supreme Court. Most are appellate cases that have some bearing on the Constitution or federal law.