Final answer:
The Supreme Court hears fewer than one hundred cases annually, a small fraction of the up to ten thousand petitions it receives.
Cases are chosen based on certiorari, requiring the agreement of at least four justices. Oral arguments are heard from October to April, following which decisions are made in private conferences.
Step-by-step explanation:
How Many Cases Does the Supreme Court Hear Annually?
The Supreme Court is at the apex of the American legal system and its sessions begin on the first Monday in October, concluding late the following June.
While the Court receives thousands of petitions annually—up to ten thousand or more—it hears a relatively small fraction of cases. Typically, fewer than one hundred cases are heard each year, which amounts to fewer than 2 percent of the total petitions.
This selective process is largely based on the issuance of a writ of certiorari, which allows the Court to review decisions from lower courts.
The justices have their own protocols for selecting a case for review, usually involving constitutional questions or significant legal concerns.
A case is added to the docket only if four out of the nine justices agree to grant certiorari. Cases directly involving ambassadors, foreign ministers, consuls, and certain disputes where states are parties, originate in the Supreme Court, but these are exceptional.
Once a case has been granted certiorari and scheduled on the docket, the Court hears oral arguments from October to April, with justices donning traditional robes and commencing sessions with a ceremonial call to order.
After hearing a case, the justices decide the outcome in private conferences, and the Chief Justice either writes the opinion or assigns it if in the majority, or if in the minority, the most senior justice in the majority assumes that role.