A court decision is the judicial ruling that determines parties’ rights and obligations. The court’s ruling is based on a careful analysis of facts and law.
The court’s decision consists of several parts: a summary of the case, a discussion of relevant laws, the court’s reasoning of how those laws apply to the facts of the case, and the court’s orders (or conclusions on the legal issues in the case). The court’s order is at the end of the decision and usually tells the parties what they should do.
When the Supreme Court decides cases, it often includes a “syllabus.” A syllabus is a detailed outline of the case and the opinions. It also lists the Justices who joined each opinion, and identifies whether it was a majority or plurality opinion.
If a Justice agrees with the outcome of a case but not with the reasoning used by the majority or plurality, they may write a concurring opinion that explains alternative grounds for reaching the same conclusion. Although concurrences may seem superfluous, they can have important impact. For example, John Marshall Harlan, a Justice who wrote more than 120 dissenting opinions, is known as one of the greatest dissenters in history for his fiery denunciation of the “separate but equal” principle that led to racial segregation.
In general, the Supreme Court will only review federal cases that have been decided by an appropriate U.S. court of appeals or the highest court in a state (if the case involves a Constitutional issue). The Court has historically interpreted this requirement to avoid issuing advisory opinions, where the Court’s guidance is meant to be a guide for lower courts rather than binding precedent on them.