Supreme Court justice Steven Breyers has announced that he will retire this year when the court goes into recess in August. It is time for a review of the Court and how it fits into our government. Welcome to civics class (Civics 101). This is the first in a series.
The Justices make up one of the three branches of our government; the Executive Branch (the President and his appointees), the Legislative Branch (Congress including Representatives and Senators), the Judicial Branch (nine Justices).
Who can be a Justice of the Supreme Court? Any person nominated by the President and approved by the Senate. Technically, you don't have to be a Judge or even a lawyer. For instance, President Biden could nominate Vice-President Camilla Harris (that would solve two of his problems at once) or, he could choose me. Justices serve for life or as long as they desire and are functional.
The purpose of the Supreme Court is to judge whether contested situations brought before it from within the states meet or disagree with the laws of the country. The Court is the "guardian of the Constitution". In the end, it strives to guarantee equal protection for all citizens.
Here is the current make-up of the nine member court with their age.
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