Because federal judges wield significant power, they are at the core of a president’s legacy. We explain how they are chosen and confirmed.

State supreme court judges who rely on public financing to fund their elections become less likely to favor attorneys who have donated to their campaigns in the past, a 2016 study suggests.

2016 discussion in which Linda Greenhouse, who reported on the U.S. Supreme Court for three decades, weighs in on the polarization of the nation's highest court and other issues.