Supreme Court Justice Facts
The Supreme Court of the United States, or SCOTUS, is the uppermost body of the U.S. judicial branch. The court itself is composed to eight associate justices and one chief justice for a total of nine magistrates, two more than the typical seven found on most state supreme courts. The U.S. Constitution charges the Supreme Court with the highest authority--and consequently, responsibility--in constitutional and interstate cases. Decisions made by the Supreme Court can change the law of the entire country.
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Appointment
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Supreme Court justices are not elected, but are nominated by the sitting president. The Senate must then confirm his decision. If the Senate does not confirm the decision, the president must nominate another justice.
Qualifications
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There is no requirement that a Supreme Court justice have previous judicial experience. In fact, Article III of the U.S. Constitution sets no prerequisites for appointed justices, allowing the president to nominate essentially any individual he deems qualified, although the Senate would still need to confirm the appointment. While justices are not required to hold a Juris Doctorate, every justice appointed thus far has completed law school, though not every justice practiced law prior to serving on the bench.
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Jurisdiction
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The Supreme Court has no geographical or subject-matter limits to its jurisdiction. Rather, the court hears cases depending on the nature of the case in question. In this capacity, the Supreme Court retains original jurisdiction in disputes arising between two or more states, between a state and an individual citizen of another state, between citizens of two or more differing states and between foreign states or citizens. The court has secondary jurisdiction--meaning it only has jurisdiction upon a case's appeal--over any appeal for which the appellant submits a writ of certiorari. The Supreme Court can also preside over disputes in constitutional matters that come up through the state supreme courts.
Compensation
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Supreme Court justices receive considerable compensation for their efforts. As of 2010, associate justices earned $213,900 per year and the chief justice earned $223,500 annually. Per Article III of the U.S. Constitution, the Senate cannot reduce the yearly salary of a Supreme Court justice while he is on the bench.
Tenure and Termination
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Once confirmed, justices may serve on the Supreme Court for the rest of their lives. Normally, a justice can only lose her position by resigning, retiring or passing away. However, the Senate retains the power to remove any justice upon a conviction of impeachment. Though no justice has ever been forcibly removed for such reason (as of 2010), justice Samuel Chase was impeached in 1804, but the Senate acquitted him in 1805.
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