The judicial system of the United States has three levels: the Supreme Court at the top, the 13 Courts of Appeals in the middle, and the 94 district courts and several specialized courts at the bottom.
The district courts are the courts of original jurisdiction, or trial courts. There are from one to four districts in each state, one in the District of Columbia, and one in each of the four U.S. territories.
The lowest level of the federal judicial system also includes specialized courts. For example, the Court of Claims hears cases involving monetary claims against the United States. The Court of Military Appeals hears appeals of courts-martial, or military trials, of people in the U.S. armed forces. The Tax Court hears cases regarding federal taxes. The Court of Customs and Patent Appeals hears cases involving international trade and claims about the legality of patents (legal assurances of ownership rights granted by the government to inventors).
The 13 Courts of Appeals have appellate jurisdiction; that is, they hear cases on appeal from the federal district courts and other lower courts. There is one U.S. Court of Appeals for each of 11 geographical regions (circuits) of the United States. They are numbered 1 through 11. In addition, there is a U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which hears cases on appeal from specialized lower courts.
The U.S. Supreme Court is primarily an appellate court of last resort. It hears appeals from the federal courts of appeals and the highest state courts in cases involving federal issues or questions, such as claims that a state government action conflicts with the U.S. Constitution or federal law.
See also Circuit Courts of Appeals; Courts of Appeals; Federal district courts
Sources
- Robert A. Carp and Ronald Stidham, The Federal Courts (Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Press, 1991)
