# How the Supreme Court decides a case

> A process map exported from forks.world (https://forks.world). Author: Brian. Source: https://forks.world/p/cmv0kpjzq0020jn06u63n22pq
> It describes who does what, in what order, and with which technology. Read the plain-language sections first; the JSON at the end is the exact, complete data.

## Summary

- 16 steps across 2 layers
- Persona: The petitioner, Lawyers on both sides, The nine justices, Law clerks, The public

## Pain points

Where this process hurts, worst first:

- **Circulate drafts and negotiate the wording** (How the Supreme Court decides a case; painful): Votes can change as drafts circulate

## How to read this file

- A process is made of **layers**. The main layer is the top level; any step of kind `subprocess` opens a detail layer with its own lanes and steps.
- **Lanes** are either persona (people/roles) or technology (systems). Each step belongs to one lane; `using` lists tools a person uses for that step.
- Step kinds: `start`, `task`, `decision` (its arrows carry the answer as a label), `subprocess`, `end`.

## How the Supreme Court decides a case

Lanes:
- The petitioner: person / role (id `petitioner`)
- Lawyers on both sides: person / role (id `lawyers`)
- The nine justices: person / role (id `justices`)
- Law clerks: person / role (id `clerks`)
- The public: person / role (id `public`)

Steps, in the order they run:

1. **Lose in a lower court and ask the Supreme Court to hear it** [start; The petitioner; id `s1`]
   - then Do at least four justices vote to take the case?
2. **Do at least four justices vote to take the case?** [decision; The nine justices; id `s2`]
   - if "Yes (the rule of four)" go to Both sides file briefs; outside groups file friend-of-the-court briefs; if "No" go to The lower court's ruling stands
3. **Both sides file briefs; outside groups file friend-of-the-court briefs** [task; Lawyers on both sides; id `s3`]
   - then Oral argument: the justices question each lawyer
4. **Oral argument: the justices question each lawyer** [subprocess; The nine justices; id `s4`], opens the detail layer "Oral argument"
   - then Private conference: discuss and take a preliminary vote
5. **Private conference: discuss and take a preliminary vote** [task; The nine justices; id `s5`]
   - then The most senior justice in the majority assigns the opinion
6. **The most senior justice in the majority assigns the opinion** [task; The nine justices; id `s6`]
   - then Draft the majority opinion
7. **Draft the majority opinion** [task; Law clerks; id `s7`]
   - then Circulate drafts and negotiate the wording
8. **Circulate drafts and negotiate the wording** [task; The nine justices; id `s8`] ⚠ PAIN POINT (painful): Votes can change as drafts circulate
   - then Dissents and concurrences are written
9. **Dissents and concurrences are written** [task; The nine justices; id `s9`]
   - then The decision is announced
10. **The decision is announced** [task; The public; id `s10`]
   - then It becomes the law of the land until changed
11. **It becomes the law of the land until changed** [end; The public; id `s11`]
12. **The lower court's ruling stands** [end; The nine justices; id `s2a`]

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  subgraph l_petitioner["The petitioner"]
    n_s1(["Lose in a lower court and ask the Supreme Court to hear it"])
  end
  subgraph l_lawyers["Lawyers on both sides"]
    n_s3["Both sides file briefs; outside groups file friend-of-the-court briefs"]
  end
  subgraph l_justices["The nine justices"]
    n_s2{"Do at least four justices vote to take the case?"}
    n_s2a(["The lower court's ruling stands"])
    n_s4[["Oral argument: the justices question each lawyer"]]
    n_s5["Private conference: discuss and take a preliminary vote"]
    n_s6["The most senior justice in the majority assigns the opinion"]
    n_s8["Circulate drafts and negotiate the wording"]
    n_s9["Dissents and concurrences are written"]
  end
  subgraph l_clerks["Law clerks"]
    n_s7["Draft the majority opinion"]
  end
  subgraph l_public["The public"]
    n_s10["The decision is announced"]
    n_s11(["It becomes the law of the land until changed"])
  end
  n_s1 --> n_s2
  n_s2 -->|"Yes (the rule of four)"| n_s3
  n_s2 -->|"No"| n_s2a
  n_s3 --> n_s4
  n_s4 --> n_s5
  n_s5 --> n_s6
  n_s6 --> n_s7
  n_s7 --> n_s8
  n_s8 --> n_s9
  n_s9 --> n_s10
  n_s10 --> n_s11
```

### Oral argument (detail of step "Oral argument: the justices question each lawyer")

Lanes:
- Lawyers on both sides: person / role (id `lawyers`)
- The nine justices: person / role (id `justices`)
- The public: person / role (id `public`)

Steps, in the order they run:

1. **Each side gets about 30 minutes** [start; Lawyers on both sides; id `o1`]
   - then Justices interrupt with questions
2. **Justices interrupt with questions** [task; The nine justices; id `o2`]
   - then Hypotheticals test where the rule would stop
3. **Hypotheticals test where the rule would stop** [task; The nine justices; id `o3`]
   - then Observers read the questions for hints
4. **Observers read the questions for hints** [end; The public; id `o4`]

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  subgraph l_lawyers["Lawyers on both sides"]
    n_o1(["Each side gets about 30 minutes"])
  end
  subgraph l_justices["The nine justices"]
    n_o2["Justices interrupt with questions"]
    n_o3["Hypotheticals test where the rule would stop"]
  end
  subgraph l_public["The public"]
    n_o4(["Observers read the questions for hints"])
  end
  n_o1 --> n_o2
  n_o2 --> n_o3
  n_o3 --> n_o4
```

## Full data (JSON)

```json
{
  "title": "How the Supreme Court decides a case",
  "maps": {
    "m_oral": {
      "id": "m_oral",
      "lanes": [
        {
          "id": "lawyers",
          "name": "Lawyers on both sides",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "justices",
          "name": "The nine justices",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "public",
          "name": "The public",
          "type": "person"
        }
      ],
      "steps": [
        {
          "id": "o1",
          "kind": "start",
          "lane": "lawyers",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "o2"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Each side gets about 30 minutes"
        },
        {
          "id": "o2",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "justices",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "o3"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Justices interrupt with questions"
        },
        {
          "id": "o3",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "justices",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "o4"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Hypotheticals test where the rule would stop"
        },
        {
          "id": "o4",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "public",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Observers read the questions for hints"
        }
      ],
      "title": "Oral argument",
      "parent": {
        "map": "m_root",
        "step": "s4"
      }
    },
    "m_root": {
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      "lanes": [
        {
          "id": "petitioner",
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        },
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          "id": "lawyers",
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          "type": "person"
        },
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        },
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        },
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        }
      ],
      "steps": [
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          "lane": "petitioner",
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            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Lose in a lower court and ask the Supreme Court to hear it"
        },
        {
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          "next": [
            {
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              "label": "Yes (the rule of four)"
            },
            {
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              "label": "No"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Do at least four justices vote to take the case?"
        },
        {
          "id": "s2a",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "justices",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The lower court's ruling stands"
        },
        {
          "id": "s3",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "lawyers",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s4"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Both sides file briefs; outside groups file friend-of-the-court briefs"
        },
        {
          "id": "s4",
          "kind": "subprocess",
          "lane": "justices",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s5"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "child": "m_oral",
          "label": "Oral argument: the justices question each lawyer"
        },
        {
          "id": "s5",
          "kind": "task",
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          "next": [
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            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Private conference: discuss and take a preliminary vote"
        },
        {
          "id": "s6",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "justices",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s7"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The most senior justice in the majority assigns the opinion"
        },
        {
          "id": "s7",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "clerks",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s8"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Draft the majority opinion"
        },
        {
          "id": "s8",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "justices",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s9"
            }
          ],
          "pain": {
            "note": "Votes can change as drafts circulate",
            "level": 2
          },
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Circulate drafts and negotiate the wording"
        },
        {
          "id": "s9",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "justices",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s10"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Dissents and concurrences are written"
        },
        {
          "id": "s10",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "public",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s11"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The decision is announced"
        },
        {
          "id": "s11",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "public",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "It becomes the law of the land until changed"
        }
      ],
      "title": "How the Supreme Court decides a case",
      "parent": null
    }
  }
}
```