Decision provides a unique behind the scenes look at the supreme court and how its justices decide cases distinguished author bernard schwartz described by the new york times as one of the. The supreme court does not advise on policy decisions before ruling on a case after the justices decide what cases to rule on they read about the history of the legal arguments they try to learn. Decision provides a unique behind the scenes look at the supreme court and how its justices decide cases distinguished author bernard schwartz described by the new york times as one of the nations leading legal scholars uses confidential conference notes draft opinions memoranda letters and interviews to tell what really goes on behind the red velour curtain. In other cases they will take up a case much more quickly especially if its an issue that only the supreme court can decide many of these cases are about the constitutionality of something only the us supreme court can interpret and decide if something is constitutional so only the supreme court has jurisdiction for those cases bear78