The United States’ government has three parts, or branches. The executive branch is the president. The legislative branch is the lawmakers in Congress. And the judicial branch is all about the courts. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. And each year, its judges start their new session of work on the first Monday of October. In 2025, that date is October 6.
The role of the judicial branch is to the laws of the United States through the court system. Court cases occur when someone has been of breaking the law. Most cases begin in lower courts throughout the United States. These courts work to decide the facts of each case and how laws apply. Then they decide if laws were really broken.
If a person is not happy with the result of a case, they can ask for another trial. This is called making an appeal. And they can ask for the Supreme Court to hear their case if they are not satisfied with the answer they get during their appeal. The Supreme Court is the top court in the United States. People sometimes call it “the court of last resort” because its rulings are final and cannot be appealed.
There are nine judges — called justices — that make up the Supreme Court. The majority of the judges must agree to a final ruling on a case. Their decisions impact all parts of American life, from healthcare and voting to schooling and jobs. Still, not all cases are heard by the Supreme Court. The justices choose which cases they will hear and make decisions on. Each year, they typically choose about 80 cases to look at.
The court justices are John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, and Ketanji Brown Jackson in 2025. They will hear cases at the Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C.
For this session, many of the Supreme Court’s cases will explore how much power the U.S. gives the president. Donald Trump is the current U.S. president, and he has made many changes. Some people say these changes go beyond the power of the president. The justices will hear a case about Trump’s ability to fire certain government officials. They will also look at the president’s money plans and his power to create . Another case may challenge an order Trump made about .
Still, not all the cases are about the president’s power. One case on the judge’s first day back addressed the rights that a person has to talk to their lawyer when they are accused of a crime. Other cases for the session touch on voting rights and how local maps are drawn to split voters.
The Supreme Court justices will carefully consider these cases and more before voting on their final rulings. And Americans will watch closely. The justices’ choices could impact the laws of the country and create change for many years to come.
By Hannah Marcum
Updated October 6, 2025, 5:00 P.M. (ET)
