The Workings of the U.S. Supreme Court

Thousands of petitions arrive at the Supreme Court every year. The justices choose around 90 percent of their cases by writ of certiorari. Writ of certiorari “orders a lower court to deliver its record in a case so that the higher court may review it. The U.S. Supreme Court uses certiorari to select most of the cases it hears” (Cornell Law School). Four out of the nine justices must vote and agree to hear a case. The justices are nominated by the President of the United States. Usually, justices stay on for decades or until death.

Sources:

Cornell Law School: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/writ_of_certiorari