What are the duties of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?

What does he do that the other justices don't?

and to be an evil racist bigot.

if Im to judge from rehnquist.

Basically, the Chief Justice controls who writes the opinion -- IF the CJ is in the majority. This is an extremely powerful privilege, since whenever the Chief is in the majority, he can play whatever card he wants -- Scalia for evolution cases, Souter or Breyer for corporate stuff that means millions to the litigants, but not much to the general public. Thomas for . . . . uh . . . . I forget. Opinions regarding District of Columbia traffic circles?

Also, the CJ is responsible for the administrative stuff, like parking spots, publishing decisions, that stuff -- which I can only assume is highly delegated.

Technically, the CJ also leads all oral argument, and can shut lawyers off (or even justices, although that doesn't happen much) when he wants.

I am throwing up even as I type...

Actually he writes the reason behind the deciding vote and he presides over Impeachment trials.

Who said Bushes never tell...?

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* If the Chief Justice is in the majority on a Supreme Court case, he or she may decide to write the Opinion of the Court, or may assign it to an associate justice of his or her choice.
* The Constitution stipulates that the Chief Justice shall preside when the Senate tries an impeachment of the President of the United States.
o Two Chief Justices, Salmon P. Chase and William Rehnquist, have had the duty of presiding over the trial in the Senate that follows an impeachment of the President – Chase in 1868 over the proceedings of President Andrew Johnson and Rehnquist in 1999 over the proceedings against President Bill Clinton.
* Presides over the impeachment trial of the Vice President if the Vice President is serving as Acting President (not a Constitutional responsibility but a rule of the Senate; no Vice President has been impeached, and none has been Acting President for more than a few hours).
* Administers the oath of office at the inauguration of the President of the United States. This is a traditional, not a constitutional, responsibility of the Chief Justice. All federal and state judges, as well as notaries public, are empowered by law to administer oaths and affirmations.
* Serves as the Chancellor of the Smithsonian Institution.
* Serves as the head of the Judicial Conference of the United States, the chief administrative body of the U.S. federal courts. The Judicial Conference is empowered by the Rules Enabling Act to promulgate rules to ensure the smooth operation of the federal courts. Major portions of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Evidence have been adopted by most state legislatures and are considered canonical by American law schools.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Justice_of_the_United_States