This is Civics 101, I'm Hannah McCarthy.

I'm Nick Capity-J.

Today we have got a special two-part episode for you about the Supreme Court and civil rights

that aired as a broadcast special on NPR stations around the country.

First we are going to give a truly 101 explanation about how the judicial branch works,

its powers, its checks, what it can do, and what it cannot do.

And then we will dive into a case that many historians have referred to as

the worst Supreme Court decision in US history. Dred Scott, V. Sandford.

Now Hannah there is a lot of vocabulary headed our listeners way in the first part of this episode.

But hopefully everyone's going to come out of the other side understanding the definition of

judicial review, searcher-rary, or search for short, circuit courts, and circuit court splits,

and also listeners are going to learn about one of my favorite.

Here comes favorite decisions of all time, the one that started it all,

Marbury V. Madison, 1803. This case has everything Hannah, judicial commissions, angry John Adams,

midnight judges. You sound like Bill Haters' Stefan character on SNL.

Does this case have Dan Cortez?

Sadly there's no Dan Cortez in Marbury V. Madison.

Alright, let's do it, Civics 101 style with a breakdown of the judicial branch.

You got it.

This little telegway came and showed a piece of paper.

And Mrs. Maff demanded to see the paper and to read it, see what it was.

The first plaintiff was Jane Rowe, an unmarried pregnant girl who had sought an abortion in his

...