【www.pindukj.com--涉外文书】
the certiorari petitions.
from：
Prior to the Friday conference each justice is given a list ofthe cases that will be discussed.The conference be-gins at about 9:30 or 10:00 a.m.and runs until 5:30 or 6:00 p.m.As the jus-tices enter the conference room they shake hands and take their seats around a rectangular table.They meet behind locked doors,and no official record is kept ofthe discussions.The chief justice presides over the confer-ence and offers an opinion first in each case.The other justices follow in de-scending order ofseniority.
A quorum for a decision on a case is six members;obtaining a quorum is seldom difficult.Cases are sometimes decided by fewer than nine justices be-cause ofvacancies,illnesses,or non-participation resulting from possible conflicts ofinterest.Supreme Court decisions are made by a majority vote.In case of a tie the lower-court deci-sion is upheld.