In the wake of the vacancy on the Supreme Court created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, it is helpful to review the process by which Supreme Court confirmations take place, to get a sense of what to expect.

Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution gives the president the power to appoint Supreme Court justices “by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.” The Senate processes these and other life-tenured judicial nominations through the Senate Judiciary Committee, which conducts hearings and a vote before the nomination proceeds to the full Senate for consideration.