U.S. Supreme Court
Washington, D.C.
Overview
Weight Worth Understanding First
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the federal judiciary and the court of last resort for the American legal system. Established by Article III of the Constitution, it sits in Washington, D.C., and is composed of nine justices — one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices — each nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate to serve lifetime appointments.
Jurisdiction
The Court's jurisdiction is nationwide. It reviews decisions from the U.S. Courts of Appeals and, on matters of federal law, from state supreme courts, making it the final arbiter of federal constitutional and statutory questions arising anywhere in the country.
What the court hears
- Appellate jurisdiction: the vast majority of the Court's docket, reviewing decisions from the federal circuit courts and, on federal law questions, from state supreme courts.
- Original jurisdiction: a narrow category set by the Constitution, chiefly disputes between states and cases involving ambassadors or other foreign ministers.
- Certiorari: most cases reach the Court through a petition for a writ of certiorari, which the Court grants entirely at its own discretion.
- Judicial review: the power to review the constitutionality of legislative and executive acts and to strike down those that conflict with the Constitution.
Practicing before the court
Practicing before the Court requires separate admission to the Supreme Court Bar, distinct from ordinary state licensure. Under the Court's Rule 5, an attorney must have been admitted to practice law in the highest court of a state, commonwealth, territory, possession, or the District of Columbia for at least three years immediately preceding the application, without adverse disciplinary action during that period, and must be sponsored by two existing members of the Supreme Court Bar who know the applicant personally. Admission also requires a certificate of good standing from the sponsoring court, a completed application, and payment of an admission fee. Bar admission is a credential rather than a guarantee of oral argument experience — many members are admitted without ever arguing a case before the Court.
Attorneys
Counsel Admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court
Admission to the Supreme Court Bar requires at least three years in good standing with a state's highest court and sponsorship from two sitting members, a credential earned well before any case reaches this Court. The attorneys listed below hold that standing today. It establishes who is authorized to appear here, not how often a matter has, a distinction worth keeping in mind given that the Court grants review in roughly one percent of the petitions filed each term.
Matters
Our Record Before the Court
Admission opens the door; the matters below show what came after. Each reflects the same preparation the firm brings before this Court: the record built, the questions anticipated, the position pressure-tested before it is ever argued. Together, they describe how the firm has practiced here, not what any future matter before this Court will hold.
Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict a similar outcome in any future matter. Every engagement is unique and must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances.
Preparation before the petition
Discuss Your Matter
Cases rarely arrive at this court without years of groundwork behind them, most of it never visible in the record. If yours is headed there, we would welcome the conversation. That same groundwork runs through our litigation experience.