POL SCI 40 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: Amicus Curiae, Precedent

• School: UCLA
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POL SCI 40
• Professor: Chris Tausanovitch

Document Summary

Policy differences more commonly occur when lower-court takes advantages of ambiguities from particular facts of a case or in the language of supreme court doctrine to avoid co(cid:373)plyi(cid:374)g w/ higher court"s prefere(cid:374)ces. Sometimes low court judges takes the chance of making a decision against sc b/c the chance of them reviewing their decisions is low too many courts, too many cases: 2013. Sc in contrast decides fewer than 100 cases annually. Sc have control of which cases to hear. When 4 justices support hearing a case the certiorari petition is granted. Sc unlike congress and pres who have large staff numbers (1000s) Law clerks (4 clerks per 1 judge = 4 * 9 = 36) A brief filed in a lawsuit by an individual or group that is not party to the lawsuit but that has an interest in the outcome interest groups, businesses, gov agencies. Helpful for sc in choosing which cases to take/solve.