0:00:08.754,0:00:13.444 There's a job out there with a great[br]deal of power, pay, prestige, 0:00:13.444,0:00:16.244 and near-perfect job security. 0:00:16.244,0:00:18.485 And there's only one way to be hired - 0:00:18.485,0:00:21.874 get appointed to the US Supreme Court. 0:00:21.874,0:00:24.494 If you want to become [br]a Justice on the Supreme Court, 0:00:24.494,0:00:27.204 the highest federal court [br]in the United States, 0:00:27.204,0:00:29.334 three things have to happen. 0:00:29.334,0:00:32.395 You have to be nominated by[br]the President of the United States, 0:00:32.395,0:00:35.455 your nomination needs to be[br]approved by the Senate, 0:00:35.455,0:00:39.944 and finally, the President must[br]formally appoint you to the court. 0:00:39.944,0:00:43.554 Because the Constitution doesn't specify[br]any qualifications, 0:00:43.554,0:00:47.025 in other words, that there's no age,[br]education, profession, 0:00:47.025,0:00:50.216 or even native-born [br]citizenship requirement, 0:00:50.216,0:00:54.145 a President can nominate any individual[br]to serve. 0:00:54.145,0:00:57.305 So far, six Justices [br]have been foreign-born, 0:00:57.305,0:00:59.855 at least one never graduated[br]from high school, 0:00:59.855,0:01:04.375 and another was one 32 years old[br]when he joined the bench. 0:01:04.375,0:01:09.815 Most presidents nominate individuals[br]who broadly share their ideological view, 0:01:09.815,0:01:11.785 so a president with a liberal ideology 0:01:11.785,0:01:14.493 will tend to appoint [br]liberals to the court. 0:01:14.493,0:01:18.376 Of course, a Justice's leanings[br]are not always so predictable. 0:01:18.376,0:01:21.396 For example, when President Eisenhower,[br]a Republican, 0:01:21.396,0:01:24.285 nominated Earl Warren for Chief Justice, 0:01:24.285,0:01:27.616 Eisenhower expected him[br]to make conservative decisions. 0:01:27.616,0:01:31.342 Instead, Warren's judgements have gone[br]down as some of the most liberal 0:01:31.342,0:01:32.976 in the Court's history. 0:01:32.976,0:01:35.106 Eisenhower later remarked on that[br]appointment 0:01:35.106,0:01:39.256 as "the biggest damned-fool mistake" [br]he ever made. 0:01:39.256,0:01:42.196 Many other factors come up[br]for consideration, as well, 0:01:42.196,0:01:47.155 including experience, personal loyalties,[br]ethnicity, and gender. 0:01:47.155,0:01:49.236 The candidates are then thoroughly vetted 0:01:49.236,0:01:53.127 down to their tax records[br]and payments to domestic help. 0:01:53.127,0:01:55.186 Once the president interviews [br]the candidate 0:01:55.186,0:01:57.406 and makes a formal nomination[br]announcement, 0:01:57.406,0:02:01.417 the Senate leadership traditionally[br]turns the nomination over to hearings 0:02:01.417,0:02:04.106 by the Senate Judiciary Committee. 0:02:04.106,0:02:06.316 Depending on the contentiousness[br]of the choice, 0:02:06.316,0:02:08.766 that can stretch over many days. 0:02:08.766,0:02:13.127 Since the Nixon administration,[br]these hearings have averaged 60 days. 0:02:13.127,0:02:16.796 The nominee is interviewed [br]about their law record, if applicable, 0:02:16.796,0:02:21.246 and where they stand on key issues[br]to discern how they might vote. 0:02:21.246,0:02:23.718 And especially in more recent history, 0:02:23.718,0:02:28.656 the committee tries to unearth[br]any dark secrets or past indiscretions. 0:02:28.656,0:02:32.627 The Judiciary Committee votes to send[br]the nomination to the full Senate 0:02:32.627,0:02:35.518 with a positive [br]or negative recommendation, 0:02:35.518,0:02:40.648 often reflective of political leanings,[br]or no recommendation at all. 0:02:40.648,0:02:43.357 Most rejections have happened[br]when the Senate majority 0:02:43.357,0:02:47.148 has been a different political [br]party than the president. 0:02:47.148,0:02:50.028 When the Senate does approve,[br]it's by a simple majority vote, 0:02:50.028,0:02:53.297 with ties broken by the vice president. 0:02:53.297,0:02:54.547 With the Senate's consent, 0:02:54.547,0:02:57.034 the president issues [br]a written appointment, 0:02:57.034,0:02:59.568 allowing the nominee to complete[br]the final steps 0:02:59.568,0:03:02.963 to take the constitutional [br]and judicial oaths. 0:03:02.963,0:03:03.963 In doing so, 0:03:03.963,0:03:08.030 they solemnly swear to administer [br]justice without respect to persons 0:03:08.030,0:03:10.669 and do equal right to the poor[br]and the rich 0:03:10.669,0:03:15.918 and faithfully and impartially discharge[br]and perform all the duties encumbent 0:03:15.918,0:03:19.113 upon a US Supreme Court Justice. 0:03:19.113,0:03:20.773 This job is for life, 0:03:20.773,0:03:25.371 barring resignation, retirement,[br]or removal from the court by impeachment. 0:03:25.371,0:03:28.713 And of the 112 Justices who have held[br]the position, 0:03:28.713,0:03:33.868 not one has yet been removed from[br]office as a result of an impeachment. 0:03:33.868,0:03:37.959 One of their roles is to protect[br]the fundamental rights of all Americans, 0:03:37.959,0:03:40.300 even has different parties take power. 0:03:40.300,0:03:43.399 With the tremendous impact[br]of this responsibility, 0:03:43.399,0:03:47.398 it's no wonder that a US Supreme [br]Court Justice is expected to be, 0:03:47.398,0:03:49.419 in the words of Irving R. Kaufman, 0:03:49.419,0:03:51.339 "a paragon of virtue, 0:03:51.339,0:03:53.000 an intellectual Titan, 0:03:53.000,0:03:56.190 and an administrative wizard." 0:03:56.190,0:04:00.563 Of course, not every member of the Court[br]turns out to be an exemplar of justice. 0:04:00.563,0:04:03.740 Each leaves behind a legacy[br]of decisions and opinions 0:04:03.740,0:04:07.200 to be debated and dissected[br]by the ultimate judges, 0:04:07.200,0:04:09.203 time and history.