Gov White Book 10

Power of the courts to review acts of other branches of government and the states

Federal courts specifically created by the US Constitutionor by Congress pursuant to its authority in Article III

A process by which presidents, when selecting district courtjudges, defer to the senator in whose state the vacancy occurs

Supreme Court case that declared a portion of aCongressional act unconstitutional and firmly set forth and established thepower of judicial review

A document containing the collected legal written argumentsin a case filed with a court by a party prior to a hearing or trial

The jurisdiction of courts that hear a case first, usuallyin trial. Courts determine the facts of a case under their originaljurisdiction

Established the basic three-tiered structure of the federalcourt system

The fourth-ranking member of the Justice Department;responsible for handling all appeals on behalf of the US government to theSupreme Court

A philosophy of judicial decision-making that argues courts shouldallow the decisions of other branches of government to stand, even when they offenda judge’s own sense of principles

At least four justices of the SC must vote to consider acase before it can be heard

Approach to constitutional interpretation that emphasizesthe Framers’ initial intentions

Codes of behavior related to the protection of property and individualsafety

A formal document issued from the SC to a lower federal orstate court that calls up a case

Prior judicial decision that serves as a rule for settlingsubsequent cases of a similar nature

Courts that generally review only findings of law made by lowercourts

Court of original jurisdiction where cases begin

Courts established by Congress for specialized purposes,such as the Court of Military Appeals

A philosophy of judicial decision-making that argues judgesshould use their power broadly to further justice, especially in the areas of equality and personal liberty

Codes of behavior related to business and contractualrelationships between groups and individuals

“Friend of the court”: a third party to a lawsuit who filesa legal brief for the purpose of raising additional points of view in anattempt to influence a court’s decision

The power vested in an appellate court to review and/orrevise the decision of a lower court

Authority vested in a particular court to hear and decidethe issues in any particular case

Refers to how and whether judicial decisions are translatedinto actual public policies affecting more than the immediate parties to a lawsuit

In court rulings, a reliance on past decisions or precedentsto formulate decisions in new cases