Table of Contents

List of illustrations
Acknowledgments

1 Origins
2 The Court at work (1)
3 The justices
4 The chief justice
5 The Court at work (2)
6 The Court and the other branches
7 The Court and the public
8 The Court and the world

Appendix 1: U.S. Constitution, Article III
Appendix 2: The Supreme Court's rules
Appendix 3: Chart of the Justices

References
Further reading
Websites
Index

About the Author

Linda Greenhouse was the New York Times Supreme Court correspondent for 30 years, covering thousands of decisions written by 18 different justices. She was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in Journalism (Beat Reporting) in 1998. Since 2009, she has taught at Yale Law School while continuing to write regular opinion pieces about the Court for the Times and other publications. Her books include Becoming Justice Blackmun: Harry
Blackmun's Supreme Court Journey; Justice on the Brink: A Requiem for the Supreme Court; and a memoir, Just a Journalist.

Reviews

[A] new one-of-a-kind book on the Supreme Court."
*SCOTUSblog *

Linda Greenhouse has long been one of the most astute observers of the U.S. Supreme Court and most trusted translators of its mysteries and traditions. This elegant and concise guide is invaluable for beginners and veteran court watchers alike. An ideal introduction to the Court for students and citizens of all ages.
*Jeffrey Rosen, professor of law, George Washington University, and legal affairs editor, The New Republic *

There is hardly anyone in the country, outside the Court, who knows the institution and its practices as well as Linda Greenhouse does.
*Melvin I. Urofsky, author of Louis D. Brandeis: A Life *

Greenhouse cogently illustrates the history, functions, composition and importance of the Supreme Court. In a slim volume that you can literally carry around in your pocket, you will find a wealth of knowledge."
*Yale Daily News*

[A]n amuse-bouche of a book . . . short, but pithy. After finishing this book, readers should be inspired to take up [Greenhouse's] implicit invitation to read about the Court and its impact on shaping American law in a more substantial, meatier format.
*Judicature*

For those interested in how cases come to be heard by the Court, the process leading to a decision and the Court's relationship with the other branches of the federal government and the public, this is an excellent way to begin.
*Washington Independent Review of Books*