Supreme Court accepts fewer than 100 cases a year, shaping national law

The Supreme Court's October 2025 term highlights a structural feature of the U.S. judiciary: the Court accepts fewer than 100 cases per year from more than 7,000 petitions, making its case selection itself a consequential exercise of power. The certiorari process gives nine justices near-total discretion over which legal questions receive definitive national resolution. Legal educators use the October 2025 docket to illustrate how the Court's gatekeeping role shapes which constitutional questions get answered.