How does the Supreme Court decide to hear a case?

United States Supreme Court decisions have shaped history: important decisions have ended racial segregation, enforced child labor laws, kept firearms away from schools, and given the federal government the teeth it needs to regulate interstate commerce. read more

The Supreme Court decides to hear a case based on at least four of the nine Justices of the Supreme Court agreeing to grant the Petition for Certiorari. If four Justices agree to grant the petition, the Supreme Court will consider the case. read more

This rule states that only four of the nine Supreme Court justices are required to grant a writ of certiorari (agreeing to hear the case). Such a practice prevents the formation of a majority (five justices or more) dominating the Supreme Court's planned agenda. read more