Supreme Court

The Supreme Court serves as the final authority on the constitutionality of legislation and renders decisions that shape the very fabric of American society. The Court hears a select number of cases per year, which are either appealed from lower, regional courts or brought directly to the Supreme Court, and issues rulings based on close examination of the United States Constitution. Major Supreme Court decisions have called for the desegregation of public schools, changed the way in which the police interrogate suspects, and clarified the separation of church and state. Supreme Court justices are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate, and they serve lifetime terms. It is important that they are not elected officials, as they should never be inappropriately influenced by the voting public in making neutral judgments about the Constitution.

Recognizing the importance of this body in the American system of checks and balances, HMCE's judiciary simulates the process and procedures of the legal system in our own Supreme Court. Students will learn the importance of research, public speaking, and logic in working to uphold the principles of the Constitution. Simulating a Supreme Court trial, delegates will work with a partner before the conference to prepare arguments for both petitioner and respondent positions and will serve as Associate Justices on the bench when they are not arguing before the Court. Each team of attorneys presents its case before a panel of justices guided by a Harvard staff member acting as Chief Justice. Throughout the conference, justices and attorneys will have the opportunity to craft arguments based on precedent and personal interpretation of the Constitution. In the Supreme Court, delegates are not assigned roles but are asked to use their own judgment and reasoning skills to argue and to decide cases.

2009 Staff and Topics