Journalist Linda Greenhouse draws on her deep knowledge of the court's history and of its written and unwritten rules to show readers how the Supreme Court really works. How do cases get to the Supreme Court? How do the justices go about deciding them? What special role does the chief justice play? What do the law clerks do? Greenhouse answers these questions by depicting the justices as they confront deep constitutional issues and wrestle with the meaning of confusing federal statutes. Throughout, the author examines many individual Supreme Court cases to illustrate points under discussion, and she also makes useful comparisons with foreign courts. The second edition includes new material in the wake of significant shifts in the Court's makeup since the 2016 election. -- From publisher's description.