1. 3
   9
2. 29

There are nine total justices on the Supreme Court. They are some of the most powerful men and women not only in America but in the world.

1. true
2. false

It's true. When it comes to judicial matters, there's no court that wields more power than the Supreme Court. This court has the ability to shape much of constitutional law.

1. appeals
   death row cases
2. copyright infringement

The Supreme Court is mostly a court of appeals. It's the where cases wind up when lower courts have failed to resolve them.

1. 2 years
   for life
2. 8 years

Supreme Court justices serve for life. It's why their appointments are so critical to the balance of U.S. politics -- one very liberal or conservative justice can swing votes and alter the fabric of American life.

1. 1934
   1981
2. 2005

It took two centuries for the U.S. to finally elevate a woman to the Supreme Court. In 1981, Sandra Day O'Connor took her seat, thank to her appointment by Ronald Reagan.

1. about 500
   about 7,500
2. about 55,000

Each year, about 7,500 cases do their best to push their issues into the Supreme Court. Only about 80 or so will actually make it.

1. Clarence Thomas
   Ruth Bader Ginsburg
2. John Roberts

In U.S. history, only 17 people have served as Chief Justice. Currently, that honor goes to John Roberts, who took his seat in 2005.

1. 1
   3
2. 7

There are currently three female Supreme Court justices. They are Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan.

1. 1789
   1881
2. 1912

Article III, section 1 of the Constitution formed the Supreme Court in 1789. It is one of the three major branches of the federal government.

1. They read memos created by their clerks.
   They analyze every bit of evidence.
2. They conduct private interviews with both parties.

Justices are too busy to immediately delve into every detail of every case. So their hand-picked clerks prepare detailed memos that highlight each case's vital points. Then, justices hear oral arguments.

1. black
   white
2. magenta

Supreme Court justices always don black robes before they enter the courtroom. No one knows the origin of this tradition, but it may be rooted in a desire for modesty of power.

1. conservatives
   liberals
2. environmentalists

Ginsburg is known for her liberal stance on many cases. She graduated at the top of her class at Colombia Law School and became a justice in 1993.

1. Gerald Ford
   Bill Clinton
2. George W. Bush

In 2005, George W. Bush nominated Roberts to the Supreme Court. He sailed through his confirmation hearings, in part by demonstrating a powerful grasp of Supreme Court history and precedent.

1. Henry Livingston
   John Jay
2. George Washington

Patriot John Jay was the court's first Chief Justice. He had the seat from 1789 to 1795. Then, he became governor of New York.

1. 30 minutes
   4 hours
2. a full workday

After years of preparation, lawyers have about 30 minutes to present their arguments to the justices. That time includes any questions the justices might have regarding the issues at hand.

1. recite the Pledge of Allegiance at each meal
   visit three prisons
2. travel to each circuit court

Each year, justices had to work at each of the circuit courts around the country, an agonizing ordeal in the days where there were no planes or even cars. The practice was finally stopped in 1891.

1. John Kennedy
   John Tyler
2. William Taft

William Taft was U.S. president from 1909 to 1913. Then he went on to join the Supreme Court, where he served as Chief Justice for nine years.

1. conservative
   liberal
2. anarchist

As she was nominated by President Reagan, you can imagine that O'Connor normally sided with conservative causes in the cases she heard. Later in life, she occasionally took a more liberal perspective in court.

1. He occasionally falls asleep in court.
   He interrupts most oral arguments by shouting.
2. He is the youngest person ever appointed as Chief Justice.

Roberts was the youngest Chief Justice in the court's history. He was just 50 years old when he took his seat.

1. by age
   by political alliances
2. by seniority

Justices take their seats by seniority. Chief Justice John Roberts, of course, sits in the middle.

1. career judges
   recent law school graduates
2. minions

For many, it's a career-making gig. Many of the court's clerks are recent law school graduates. These men and women work closely justices to clarify cases prior to decisions.

1. attempting to bite other justices
   writing harshly worded opinions
2. hurling objects at dim-witted lawyers

Antonin Scalia, who died in 2016, was a strongly conservative justice. He often wrote separate opinions that lambasted people and subjects with very harsh language.

1. He was assassinated.
   He choked on a doughnut in the court's dressing room.
2. He murdered a juror with a gavel.

Terry has the distinction of being the only justice targeted by an assassination attempt … a successful one. He was killed by the bodyguard of a man in who had confronted Terry himself in a contentious court case.

1. 2
   21
2. 13

In all, two men of African-American descent have made it to the court. In 1967, Thurgood Marshall broke the color barrier, in 1991, Clarence Thomas succeeded him.

1. Neil Gorsuch
   Clarence Thomas
2. Stephen Breyer

Neil Gorsuch was chose to replace Antonin Scalia in 2016. He was nominated by President Trump and took his seat in early 2017.

1. 98
   17
2. 2

Historians separate each court era by its Chief Justice. So, since there have been 17 Chief Justices, there have also been 17 Supreme Courts.

1. 60
   90
2. 120

Ginburg grabbed headlines in 2018 -- and cheered the hearts of American women -- when she declared that she'd like to serve on the court until she's at least 90 years old. Her presence helps to balance out the male-dominated court.

1. $56,000
   $270,000
2. $4 million

In 1789, Chief Justice made about $4,000 per year. These days, the job definitely pays better, at around $270,000 per year … almost enough to rent a two-bedroom apartment in D.C.'s exorbitantly priced housing market.

1. 1 day
   1 month
2. 1 year

It took the court just one day to decide West v. Barnes. The case covered a financial dispute between a farmer and a landowner.

1. a presidential election
   impeachment
2. senility on the bench

Chase was appointed to the court by none other than George Washington. He was impeached because people suspected he was letting his political beliefs affect his courtroom judgement, but he was later cleared.