Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the U.S. federal judiciary, established under Article III of the Constitution. It consists of a chief justice and a number of associate justices, nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate to serve lifetime appointments. The Court exercises ultimate appellate jurisdiction over federal and state cases involving questions of federal law and the Constitution, and original jurisdiction in a limited set of matters. It selects most of its cases through the discretionary writ of certiorari, and its rulings set binding precedent for lower courts. Through its decisions on constitutional interpretation and federal statutes, the Court plays a central role in the U.S. system of separated powers.