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OOOEstablished by Article III of the Constitution, the The Court is the third branch of the Federal Government, a role underscored by its ability to overrule decisions of both Congress and the President which in the Court's opinion conflict with the requirements of the Constitution. Much of the site is directed either to attorneys practicing there (the "Guide for Counsel" is interesting) or people visiting. The site provides, however, texts of only recent decisions, and its essays on the Court's history and workings are brief.
OOO An extensive list of historical decisions can be found at the Legal Information Institute, and a discussion of the Court' s history and function can be found at The Supreme Court Historical Society.

Official site for the federal judiciary. Provides links to the courts and agencies as well as a lengthy essay on how the courts work.

Intended as an education and research agency for the federal courts, it provides a basic tutorial on the functioning of the courts, histories of individual courts and a list and analysis of legislation that created the federal court system.

O0 We have followed the convention of dividing the history of the court into the terms of its Chief Justices. While convenient, this often gives a false impression of the importance of the Chief Justice in general, and of certain Chief Justices in particular.
O0 The statutory powers of the Chief Justice, as opposed to those of the Associate Justices, are overwhelmingly administrative, not legal. The Chief is responsible for the operation of the Court, in fact, for the entire federal system; but his influence over cases brought before the court is limited to two functions. First, it is the Chief Justice who introduces and summarizes cases for the other Justices in conference (though it is the decision of all whether a case will be accepted and heard), and second, it is the Chief Justice's right to assign the writing of the majority opinion - so long as he is in the majority. If he is not, the Senior Associate in the majority does this.
O0 The Chief, therefore, is only "first among equals". His influence over the other Justices arises out of his stature as a leader. Some, like Marshall and Warren, have led the Court. Others, like Chase and Vinson, were either followers of or merely frustrated by the more talented Associate Justices who served with them.

A joint venture of the University of Chicago Press and the Liberty Fund, this is simply the most comprehensive and sophisticated resource we have found on the origins and significance of the Constitution. A wealth of original documents. We cannot say enough good about it.