Washington (CNN) -- Few Americans have any real idea how the Supreme Court operates, since cameras are barred, and the case arguments and opinions are often dry and confusing for nonlawyers. That's too bad because the high court's impact on Americans is incalculable. When disputes arise, the nine justices serve as the final word for a nation built on the rule of law. They interpret the Constitution and all that it brings with it: how we conduct ourselves in society, boundaries for individuals and the government, questions literally of life and death. As the late justice William Brennan once wrote, "The law is not an end in itself, nor does it provide ends. It is preeminently a means to serve what we think is right." And whether right or wrong, when it came to deciding who won the 2000 presidential election, it was the court's conclusions that ultimately ended the issue, but not the controversy.
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Court's in session: The marshal shouts the traditional welcome -- "Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!"
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The justices are seated by seniority, with the chief justice in the middle
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No cameras are allowed, but the public sessions are audio recorded
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Up to 10,000 petitions go to court's docket each term; only about 1% are accepted
The @placeholder's framers envisioned the judiciary as the "weakest," "least dangerous" branch of government.