Chapter 10: The National Judiciary

It has both original and ________ and is the final authority in dealing with all questions arising from the Constitution, federal laws, and treaties.

appellate jurisdiction

The ________, the largest national organization of attorneys, is often consulted by presidents and rates nominees 'qualifications.

American Bar Association

________ is the doctrine or policy of following rules or principles laid down in previous judicial decisions (precedents)

Stare decisis

________ may support or oppose a nominee based on his or her position on issues of importance to the ________ and use lobbyists to pressure senators.

Interest groups

________ establishes the Supreme Court and provides Congress the power to establish lower courts.

Article III

Historically, there were very few minority and female judges appointed to lower federal courts, but ________ was the first African American appointed to the Supreme Court by Lyndon Johnson, and Sandra Day O'Connor was the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court by Ronald Reagan.

Thurgood Marshall

The district courts were created by Congress under the ________ of 1789 to serve as trial courts at the federal level.

Judiciary Act

________ refers to the approach a judge takes when interpreting the law.

Judicial philosophy

________ allows certain types of cases to be tried in either the federal or state courts.

Concurrent jurisdiction

________ are appointed by the President with confirmation by the Senate, and they serve "during good behavior, "which usually means for life.

Federal judges

________ allows individual senators who represent the state where the district is located to approve or disapprove potential nominees.

Senatorial courtesy

________ is the authority of the courts to hear certain cases.

Jurisdiction

________ use law clerks to research the information presented in oral arguments and briefs.

Justices

Constitutional courts were created by Congress under ________ of the Constitution and include the Supreme Court, district courts, Courts of Appeals, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the U.S. Court of International Trade.

Article III

activism and restraint

There are two main judicial philosophies