Ch 13 - Federal Courts - Class 5

1. 3. How has the appointment and confirmation process for federal judges evolved over time? 

1. Blog: Courts & Policy Issue
• What cases did your classmates discover?
2. Analyze: Confirmation Politics (EQ #3)
• How is a federal judge (District, Circuit, or Supreme Court) nominated and confirmed?
• President weighs a variety of factors and nominates an individual from a short list prepared by White House staff (example)
• Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearings and forwards nomination to the Senate floor (example)
• Senate votes as a whole to confirm the nominee, unless blocked by filibuster (example) 
• Why has the confirmation process become so politicized?
• Clarence Thomas confirmation (60 Minutes)
• Is there a correlation between the party affiliation of the president and the voting habits of his appointees?
• Politicians in Robes? (NY Times)
• Justice Statistics (Washington Post)

Ch 13 - Federal Courts - Class 4

1. How does a case reach the Supreme Court, and how does it hear/decide the case?
2. What is the relationship between federal courts and state courts?

3. How has the appointment and confirmation process for federal judges evolved over time?

(Compare to this picture of 2010 Supreme Court)

1. Film Analysis: Simple Justice (EQ #1)
• How does this film help us understand the process of a SC case?
• Is there segregation within SF schools? 
• San Francisco Unified School District
• San Francisco Demographics
• New York City Schools
• What did we hear from Tim Wise at SI about racism today?
2. Case Study: Florida v. US Dept of Health and Human Services (EQ #1)
• What did the Affordable Care Act reach the Supreme Court?
• Petitioner State of Florida, et al. v. Respondent United States Department of Health and Human Services, et al.
• Writ of Certiori Petition (example)
• Petitioner/Respondent Briefs (example) or Amicus Curiae Briefs (Example)
• Oral Arguments (picture & example)
• Conference (picture)
• Majority/Concurring/Dissenting Opinions (example)
3. Summarize: Federal & State Courts (EQ #2)
• What are the structures of the federal courts and the state courts?
• Website: Federal Courts & Map
• Website: CA State Courts
• How does a case reach the Supreme Court?
• Diagram: Paths to SCOTUS