Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution provides that "the judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time order and set up."
The United States Supreme Court was created under this section and the Judiciary Act of 1789 The Act organized the Supreme Court, the federal circuit courts and the federal district courts, established the Office of the Attorney General, and reserved the president's right to nominate justices for appointment to the United States Supreme Court with the advice and consent of the Senate.
When the Supreme Court was established six justices shared the bench. One justice was appointed as the Chief Justice and held additional administrative duties related both to the Supreme Court and to the whole federal court system. The other five were associate justices. At its formation, the judicial branch was by far the weakest and most hesitant of all three government branches, holding back from strongly upholding and deciding controversial issues.
In Marbury v. Madison, Chief Justice Marshall declared that the doctrine of judicial review allowed the Court to review the constitutionality of congressional law. Before the end of his 34 years, he succeeded in strengthening the central government and making the Judiciary branch, in some respects, the strongest branch of the national government.
 Congress grasps the power to set the number of Associate Justices sitting on the Supreme Court and that number has gradually modified over time. The current court composition of one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices was established under an act passed on June 25, 1948. John Roberts, who entered duty on September 29, 2005, chairs as the Chief Justice. The current Associate Justices are John Paul Stevens, Sandra Day O'Connor (Retired), Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy, David H. Souter, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Samuel Alito, and Stephen G. Breyer. Each justice is also assigned to one of the Court of Appeals for emergency response purposes.
Justices are appointed for life and Article III, section 1, of the Constitution further provides that "the Judges, both of the Supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good behavior, and shall, at conditioned times, receive for their services, a recompense, which shall not be reduced during their continuance in office." A Justice may, if so desired, go away at the age of 70 after serving for 10 years as a Federal judge or at age 65 after 15 years of service. To help in the performance of its functions, the Supreme Court employs several clerks, a Reporter of Decisions, a librarian, and a marshal to service. The Chief Justice employs the other Court officers, which includes the Administrative Assistant, the Court Counsel, the Curator, the Director of Data Systems, and the Public Information Officer, to help him with his administrative duties. Each Justice usually appoints four law clerks, many of whom are the best of Ivy League law school graduates. The library is open to members of the bar of the Court, attorneys for the different Federal departments and agencies, and members of Congress.
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