What is the second highest ranking court in the US?

Answer 1

There is no one single second highest court in the United States. In the Federal judiciary there are thirteen United States Courts of Appeal, which hear appeals from the trial courts and whose decisions are reviewable by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Each state's judicial system also has a highest court, typically known as a state supreme court, except in New York and Maryland where the highest state court is known as the Court of Appeals. The state's highest court is the final authority for the interpretation of state law, but as Federal constitutional questions may be raised in a state case, the decisions of the highest court in each state may be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court by a process known as certiorari.

Notably, certiorari is granted in only a small fraction of cases, which means that the Supreme Court does not even consider most cases that are appealed to it. Therefore, for practical purposes, the highest courts (or "second highest courts," as the case may be) are your state's highest court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals that serves your state.

Answer 2

The United States Court of Appeals is the second highest court in the United States. This court sits in twelve circuits (venues) and above the judiciary of the U.S. Armed Forces, with the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit being a court of limited and specific subject-matter jurisdiction. This court comprises:

United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, which exercises the court's appellate jurisdiction over the United States District Courts for the following districts:

(1) the District of Maine;

(2) the District of Massachusetts;

(3) the District of New Hampshire;

(4) the District of Puerto Rico; and,

(5) the District of Rhode Island;

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which exercises the court's appellate jurisdiction over the United States District Courts for the following districts:

(6) the District of Connecticut;

(7) the Eastern District of New York;

(8) the Northern District of New York;

(9) the Southern District of New York;

(10) the Western District of New York; and,

(11) the District of Vermont;

United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which exercises the court's appellate jurisdiction over the United States District Courts for the following districts:

(12) the District of Delaware;

(13) the District of New Jersey;

(14) the Eastern District of Pennsylvania;

(15) the Middle District of Pennsylvania; and,

(16) the Western District of Pennsylvania;

United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which exercises the court's appellate jurisdiction over the United States District Courts for the following districts:

(17) the District of Maryland;

(18) the Eastern District of North Carolina;

(19) the Middle District of North Carolina;

(20) the Western District of North Carolina;

(21) the District of South Carolina;

(22) the Eastern District of Virginia;

(23) the Western District of Virginia;

(24) the Northern District of West Virginia; and

(25) the Southern District of West Virginia;

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which exercises the court's appellate jurisdiction over the United States District Courts for the following districts:

(26) the Eastern District of Louisiana;

(27) the Middle District of Louisiana;

(28) the Western District of Louisiana;

(29) the Northern District of Mississippi;

(30) the Southern District of Mississippi;

(31) the Eastern District of Texas;

(32) the Northern District of Texas;

(33) the Southern District of Texas; and

(34) the Western District of Texas;

United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which exercises the court's appellate jurisdiction over the United States District Courts for the following districts:

(35) the Eastern District of Kentucky;

(36) the Western District of Kentucky;

(37) the Eastern District of Michigan;

(38) the Western District of Michigan;

(39) the Northern District of Ohio;

(40) the Southern District of Ohio;

(41) the Eastern District of Tennessee;

(42) the Middle District of Tennessee;

(43) the Western District of Tennessee;

United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, which exercises the court's appellate jurisdiction over the United States District Courts for the following districts:

(44) the Central District of Illinois;

(45) the Northern District of Illinois;

(46) the Southern District of Illinois;

(47) the Northern District of Indiana;

(48) the Southern District of Indiana;

(49) the Eastern District of Wisconsin;

(50) the Western District of Wisconsin;

United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, which exercises the court's appellate jurisdiction over the United States District Courts for the following districts:

(51) the Eastern District of Arkansas;

(52) the Western District of Arkansas;

(53) the Northern District of Iowa;

(54) the Southern District of Iowa;

(55) the District of Minnesota;

(56) the Eastern District of Missouri;

(57) the Western District of Missouri;

(58) the District of Nebraska;

(59) the District of North Dakota; and

(60) the District of South Dakota;

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which exercises the court's appellate jurisdiction over the United States District Courts for the following districts:

(61) the District of Alaska;

(62) the District of Arizona;

(63) the Central District of California;

(64) the Eastern District of California;

(65) the Northern District of California;

(66) the Southern District of California;

(67) the District of Hawaii;

(68) the District of Idaho;

(69) the District of Montana;

(70) the District of Nevada;

(71) the District of Oregon;

(72) the Eastern District of Washington;

(73) the Western District of Washington; and over the territorial courts for

(74) the District of Guam; and

(75) the District of the Northern Mariana Islands;

United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, which exercises the court's appellate jurisdiction over the United States District Courts for the following districts:

(76) the District of Colorado;

(77) the District of Kansas;

(78) the District of New Mexico;

(79) the Eastern District of Oklahoma;

(80) the Northern District of Oklahoma;

(81) the Western District of Oklahoma;

(82) the District of Utah; and

(83) the District of Wyoming;

United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, which exercises the court's appellate jurisdiction over the United States District Courts for the following districts:

(84) the Middle District of Alabama;

(85) the Northern District of Alabama;

(86) the Southern District of Alabama;

(87) the Middle District of Florida;

(88) the Northern District of Florida;

(89) the Southern District of Florida;

(91) the Middle District of Georgia;

(92) the Northern District of Georgia;

(93) the Southern District of Georgia; and

United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which exercises the court's appellate jurisdiction over the United States District Courts for the following district:

(94) the District of the District of Columbia.

In addition, the United States Court of Appeals also is comprised in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which merged the former United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals, and the appellate division of the United States Court of Claims. It also exercises the court's appellate jurisdiction over:

(1) the United States Court of Federal Claims;

(2) the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims;

(3) the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board;

(4) the United States Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences;

(5) the Boards of Contract Appeals (for government contracts);

(6) the United States Merit Systems Protection Board (federal employment and employment benefits); and

(7) the United States International Trade Commission;

(8) the United States Court of International Trade; and over all United States district courts relating to:

(1) Patents, including appeals arising from an action against the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks under 35 U.S.C. § 145;

(2) The Little Tucker Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1346;

(3) Section 211 of the Economic Stabilization Act of 1970;

(4) Section 5 of the Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act of 1973;

(5) Section 506(c) of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978; and

(6) Section 523 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act.

Finally, the United States Court of Appeals also is comprised in the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, which exercises the court's appellate jurisdiction over the following intermediate appellate courts of the armed services:

(1) the Army Court of Criminal Appeals;

(2) the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals;

(3) the Coast Guard Court of Criminal Appeals; and,

(4) the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals.