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198 CHAPTER 6 %u2022 The Federal JudiciaryThe Supreme CourtThe Constitution establishes the U.S. Supreme Court as the highest court in the nation. The Supreme Court resolves differences between the states, something that had not been provided for in the government created by the Articles of Confederation. The Court also resolves different interpretations of the law in the lower federal courts. Since 1869, the Court has consisted of nine justices, comprising a chief justice and eight associate justices. Each justice has a small number of clerks to assist in selecting cases, researching, and writing decisions. As you learned in the story that began this chapter, Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson clerked for the Supreme Court, as did Justices John Roberts, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh.The Court meets in session roughly nine months out of the year, beginning on the first Monday in October. Those cases still on the docket (the schedule of cases to be heard) when a term ends continue to the next term%u2019s docket.Cases in which the Supreme Court exercises original jurisdiction are few and are described in Article III of the Constitution: %u201cIn all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be a Party, the supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction.%u201d66 In all other cases in which the federal judiciary has jurisdiction, the Court has appellate jurisdiction. The Court also has appellate jurisdiction over certain state cases, especially those involving a federal issue. Figure 6.4 illustrates how cases move from the courts of appeals.DC CircuitFederal CircuitNYFL1127651089411Northern 3MarianaIslands GuamPuerto Rico U.S. VirginIslandsMDDEHINJMACTVTNHRIGulf of MexicoATLANTICOCEANPACIFICOCEANVASCKYTNARNEOKLA MS TXUTMIMESupreme CourtNDSDKSWYMNNCOHMOCOIANMCircuits of the Federal JudiciaryDistrict court boundary*CAWANVIDMTORWVAZAL GAPAWIILINAKFIGURE 6.3Map of the District and Appellate Courts*State borders serve as boundaries in cases where there is only one district court in a state.Data from United States Courts, %u201cGeographic Boundaries of United States Courts of Appeals and United States District Courts.%u201d%u00a9 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. For review purposes only. Do not distribute.