The Supreme Court Vetting Process (10points per part, all or

nothing per part: 60 Total and Extremely helpful for AP Exam)

1. Read this for an overview of the Supreme Court nominating process. Summarize in 2-3 paragraphs
2. The White House
a. What is the first step to becoming a federal justice according to the Constitution?
b. Who did Elena Kagan talk to in the White House prior to the announcement that she would be
Obamas selection for the Supreme Court.
c. Here is Kagan being nominated for the Supreme Court (watch the first bit).

3. The Senate
a. After being nominated, what are the next two steps for Kagan before she could become a member
of the court?
b. What committee does the nomination process begin with (In this video Kagan is speaking before
the group in session)? Where does the nomination go next?
c. How long can Kagan remain on the US Supreme Court? How might she be removed?
4. Factors To Be Considered
a. What is the educational background of two of the current justices?
b. Go here and tell me 4 items about the general background (take time to spell it out) of justices in
general (look at the charts).
c. What is the ABAs role in the vetting process (use their site and search for the answer, use other
sites as well)?
d. According to his article here (left side under selecting federal judges) and here. What are at least
five factors that have to be considered when appointing a Supreme Court justice.
e. What was the ABA rating for Elena Kagan?

5. Contentious Nomination Processes

a. In the last thirty years who were the two justices that had to go through the most contentious
nominating processes? What was the central issue in each case?
b. What does it mean to be Borked?
6. Interest Groups

a. Why would interest groups care about Supreme Court nominations?

b. What does this advertisement say about Elena Kagan? What group is saying it?
c. Likewise who did this advertisement and what does it say?