How Cases Reach the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court receives roughly seven thousand petitions each term but hears argument in only about sixty cases. The main door is a petition for a writ of certiorari, which at least four justices must grant under the rule of four. The Court prioritizes conflicts among the federal circuits or state supreme courts, questions of federal law left unresolved, and matters of obvious national importance.

Parties then file merits briefs, joined by amicus briefs from interested outsiders. Oral argument follows, thirty minutes per side. Direct appeals and original jurisdiction disputes, such as suits between states, are rare alternative paths.

Denial of certiorari is not a ruling on the merits..