ABSTRACT
This chapter presents certain rules and procedures guiding the justices in choosing the cases they will decide and sketches the major steps leading to a decision. The rules governing jurisdiction and standing to sue vest in the justices' considerable discretionary power. The justices control their workload by selecting the cases that demand attention at the highest level. In the governing process, the Supreme Court has an important, if circumscribed, role to play. The Constitution in Article III makes possible the resolution of certain legal disputes in national, as opposed to state, courts. Cases in the federal courts usually originate in the district courts. Cases in state courts may qualify for review by the US Supreme Court if they raise a federal question. Article III of the Constitution establishes "the judicial power of the United States" in "one Supreme Court". Every discipline has its own literature, and the literature of the study of the Constitution includes judicial opinions.
