Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)

Definition

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all federal and state court cases that involve a point of federal law.

Analogy

Think about SCOTUS as being like your school principal - they have final say on important decisions or disputes within their jurisdiction, just like how a principal makes final decisions at school!

Related terms

Judicial Review: This is a process under which executive or legislative actions are subject to review by the judiciary. A court with judicial review power may invalidate laws and decisions that are incompatible with a higher authority, such as terms in a written constitution.

Marbury v. Madison: This was an 1803 case that established judicial review in U.S. constitutional law.

Chief Justice: The presiding judge in a supreme court.