The modern Supreme Court has evolved quite a bit over time. The first major moment for the Supreme Court was Marbury v. Madison in which the Supreme Court set forth the doctrine of Judicial Review, that is, that they had the authority to review legislation to determine whether it was constitutional or not.
When it was first started, the Supreme Court was a backwater. Nobody really wanted to be on it or stay on it for life. The Supreme Court is now a highly desired lifetime appointment with intense political consequences.
None of this happened overnight. Instead, over the decades, small changes occurred to make the Supreme Court a more powerful institution.
Finally, the original court had six members. The court's numbers have fluctuated over time but currently stand at 9 members.
