<human>:  one thing i've never understood is why supreme court judges are given lifetime appointments. i think that's silly.
<bot>: That is the way it's always been, and there's no way that could change unless they change it. The court judges are often appointed when they are in their late 50s, and the court doesn't have a term limit. There are no law students who study for six years, and then they become judges and have a job for the rest of their lives. It makes sense that they would be “serving at the pleasure of the President”, which is the general way to govern when you have a term limit.