Court is an institution, usually a branch of government, that adjudicates legal disputes and administers justice in accordance with the law. A court may also be known as a tribunal or an ad hoc body. Courts are generally established and dissolved by legislative or constitutional means. A judge is the principal officer of a court and the person in charge of its day-to-day operations.

A court’s institutional legitimacy is its most powerful power, and it requires that judges be seen as impartial and whose decisions are based on law rather than ideology or politics. Unlike other political institutions, courts do not have the power to raise funds or command the institutions of coercion (police and military) to enforce their decisions, but they can earn legitimacy through the exercise of their discretion.

Judges must be able to balance the complexities of this role and understand the real-world implications of their decisions. To do so, they must understand America’s diverse experiences and the importance of fairness, equity and justice for all. This is why it’s important to continue working to appoint judges who are faithful to the Constitution and laws of the United States and genuinely reflect America’s diverse communities.