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How was the composition of the U.S. Supreme Court determined?

The initial composition of the U.S. Supreme Court was determined in 1788, when the U.S. Congress (the country's law-making body) passed the first Judiciary Act. The special act was necessary because the U.S. Constitution (the document containing the country's laws), which was adopted earlier that year, mandated in Article 3 that the Supreme Court be the highest court in the land. Yet Article 3 does not indicate how the court should be formed or how many justices (judges) should sit on the court. The Judiciary Act stated that the court should consist of one chief justice and five associate justices. Later congressional acts changed the composition of the Supreme Court. Since 1869 the court has consisted of one chief justice and eight associates, all of whom hold the position for life (until they retire or die). The U.S. president appoints...

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