Judicial Opinion Writing

During which months does the Supreme Court typically hear oral arguments?

• January to June

• October to April

• July to September

• March to November

About how many cases does the Supreme Court usually hear in a given Term?

• 10 to 20

• 40 to 50

• 70 to 80

• 150 to 200

How long are oral arguments typically for each case?

• 30 minutes

• 1 hour

• 2 hours

• All day

Who presents arguments during Supreme Court oral arguments?

• Jurors and clerks

• Only the chief justice

• Attorneys for the petitioner and respondent

• Congress members

What is the role of the petitioner?

• To defend the lower court ruling

• To write the dissenting opinion

• To appeal the decision after losing in the lower court

• To vote first in conference

What is the role of the respondent?

• To argue against precedent

• To present new evidence

• To defend the lower court’s ruling

• To choose the justices for the case

When do the justices privately meet to discuss and vote on a case?

• Before oral arguments

• Later that same week

• At the end of the Term

• Only after the President approves

In what order do the justices cast their votes in conference?

• Alphabetical order

• By age

• Chief justice first, then by seniority

• Junior justice first, then by rank

How many votes are required for a majority if all nine justices participate?

• 4

• 5

• 6

• 9

Who assigns the writing of the majority opinion?

• The President

• The most junior justice

• The chief justice or most senior justice in the majority

• A random clerk