The U.S. Supreme Court: The Early Years

(October 11, 2010) LOUISVILLE, Ky. - McConnell Scholars unravel the initial constitutional debates about the role of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The U.S. Supreme Court: The Early Years

Scholar Max Morley, far right, references his pocket-size U.S. Constitution during a seminar on the role of U.S. Supreme Court.

The McConnell Scholars opened their Law and Public Policy educational enrichment series by perusing The Federalist Papers and Anti-Federalist writings. Their goal was to investigate the founding debates surrounding the creation of the American judicial system.

Of the three branches of government in the United States, the judicial branch received the least attention during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The resulting Article III provides a vague outline for what has become a large and complex legal system.

Anti-Federalists feared the power of independent judges with lifetime appointments, while the Federalists countered the argument of judicial tyranny by detailing the practicality and safety of independent judgeships.

A McConnell Scholar's Perspective - Blog by Sean Williamson (Boyd County, Class of 2011)