ap gov - chapter 9

amicus curiae

“friend of the court”; amici may file briefs or even appear to argue their interests orally before the court.

appellate Jurisdiction

the power vested in particular courts to review and/or revise the decision of a lower court.

brief

a document containing the legal written arguments in a case filed prior to a hearing or trial

dissenting opinions

a judicial opinion issued by a minority of judges on a court who disagree with the outcome of a case and wish to explain their legal reasoning

concurring opinions

a judicial opinion issued by a minority of judges on a court who agree with the outcome of a case, but want to express different legal reasoning.

judicial activism

a philosophy of judicial decision-making that judges should use their power to further justice.

judicial restraint

a philosophy of judicial decision-making that courts should allow the decisions of other branches of government to stand, even when they offend a judge’s own principles

judiciary act of 1789

legislative act that established the basic three-tiered structure of the federal court system

originial jurisdiction

The jurisdiction of courts that hear a case first, usually in a trial

precedents

a prior judicial decision that serves as a rule for settling subsequent cases of a similar nature

rule of four

at least four justices of the supreme court must vote to consider a case before it can be heard

senatorial courtesy

a process by which presidents generally allow senators from the state in which a judicial vacancy occurs to block a nomination

solicitor general

the fourth-ranking member of the department of justice; responsible for handling nearly all appeals on behalf of the u.s. government to the supreme court.

stare decisis

in court rulings, a reliance on past decisions or precedents to formulate decisions in new cases

strict constructionist

an approach to constitutional interpretation that emphasizes interpreting the constitution as it was originally written and intended by the Framers

writ of certiorari

a request for the supreme court to order up the records from a lower court to review the case