Starts it's 2008-2009 term two weeks from today, always the 1st Monday in October, here on the 6th.
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/
Three entities publish it's decisions, of course, the Court itself, such as: 442 US 200. The Reporter of decisions is responsible for such.
West publishes the Supreme Court Reporter, which is cited as, S.Ct.
United States Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers’ Edition, is published by LexisNexis and is more commonly known as Lawyers’ Edition and cited as L.Ed.
I personally prefer the L.Ed, as it is annotated and has legal encylcopedia references listed.
Until 1935 the Court did not have it's own building and met for many years in the U.S. Capitol, such as the Old Senate chamber, except when Philaldelphia and New York were the temporary permanent Capitals.
To date there have been 111 Justices on the court, inclusive of 17 Chief Justices, who are mainly nominated from outside the court, few are "promoted" from the bench, the # is only 4 or 5 since it's inception.
President Taft, after he left office, had a strong desire to serve on the Court and was nominated and confirmed by the Senate as Chief Justice, the only person to serve in both capacities. After office he was a Professor of Constitutional law at Yale, then nominated by Harding. Can you imagine having the President for a law instructor! Wow!
The CJ presides over an impeachment trial, as we saw CJ Rehnquist at the helm in Clinton's Senate trial. Of course he was aquitted. Andrew Johnson was aquitted in his trial by 1 vote.
On the west pediment of the court building it is inscribed "Equal Justice under law", so even a President can be removed for "high crimes and misdemeanors"!
Having visited the court several times over my life, it is a must see if one tours the Nation's capital. It sits east of the Capitol building on 1st st.
When court is not in session, at selected times, lectures are given in the public seating area inside the courtroom, which I have sat in on.
Presidential inaugurations were held on the east front of the Capitol facing the SC building until RR change it to the west front, puportedly to face California??
The history of the court alone is fascinating to study, but of course the decisions handed down affect the Country as a whole.
FDR attempted to increase the size of the court, but failed, it has held steadfast at 9 since the 1870's or so, being at 11 at one time and through attrition it has held at it's present #. There were only 6 Justices on the Original court in 1789.
Only 1 time in it's history did it conduct a "criminal trial" itself as a normal court would.
It is a discretionary appeals court, but has Original jurisdiction under the Constitution in such as matters that affect Ambassadors, disputes between 2 states, etc.
This is one of the most interesting 4th AM cases handed down IMO, as I cited above, 442 US 200. It defines what a traditional arrest is and clarifies the unanswered question in Morales. It is UNconstitutional to arrest someone on less than probable cause. There is NO such a doctrine in law as "arresting a person for questioning" "taking someone in for questioning" or "investigative detention", see Morales in the body.
Held:
1. The Rochester police violated the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments when, without probable cause to arrest, they seized petitioner and transported him to the police station for interrogation. Pp. 442 U. S. 206-216.
http://supreme.justia.com/us/442/200/case.html
There is no constitutional or case law requirement a SC justice be a member of the Bar, but the ABA sends it's opinion of a nominee's qualifications to the Senate.

