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 Understanding the Federal Courts was developed by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts to provide an introduction to the federal judicial system, its organization and administration, and its relationship to the legislative and executive branches of the government.
The Administrative Office is the judicial branch's central support agency responsible for providing a broad range of management, legal, technical, communications, and other support services for the administration of the federal courts.
Structure of the Federal Courts
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the federal judiciary. Congress has established two levels of federal courts under the Supreme Court: the trial courts and the appellate courts.
Trial Courts
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the federal court system. Within limits set by Congress and the Constitution, the district courts have jurisdiction to hear nearly all categories of federal cases, including both civil and criminal matters. There are 94 federal judicial districts, including at least one district in each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Each district includes a United States bankruptcy court as a unit of the district court. Three territories of the United States—the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands—have district courts that hear federal cases, including bankruptcy cases.
There are two special trial courts that have nationwide jurisdiction over certain types of cases. The Court of International Trade addresses cases involving international trade and customs issues. The United States Court of Federal Claims has jurisdiction over most claims for money damages against the United States, disputes over federal contracts, unlawful "takings" of private property by the federal government, and a variety of other claims against the United States.
Appellate Courts
The 94 judicial districts are organized into 12 regional circuits, each of which has a United States court of appeals. A court of appeals hears appeals from the district courts located within its circuit, as well as appeals from decisions of federal administrative agencies. In addition, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has nationwide jurisdiction to hear appeals in specialized cases, such as those involving patent laws and cases decided by the Court of International Trade and the Court of Federal Claims.
United States Supreme Court
The United States Supreme Court consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight associate justices. At its discretion, and within certain guidelines established by Congress, the Supreme Court each year hears a limited number of the cases it is asked to decide. Those cases may begin in the federal or state courts, and they usually involve important questions about the Constitution or federal law.
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Read Understanding the Federal Courts online, or you can download Understanding the Federal Courts in PDF format.
Office of Judges Programs
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building
Washington, D.C. 20544
CONTENTS
The Constitution and the Federal Judiciary 4
The Federal Courts in American Government 5
The Federal Courts and Congress 5
The Federal Courts and the Executive Branch 5
The Federal Courts and the Public 6
Structure of the Federal Courts 8
Trial Courts 8
Appellate Courts 8
United States Supreme Court 9
The Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts 10
United States Judges 13
Appointment and Compensation 13
Judicial Ethics 14
Senior and Recalled Judges 15
The Federal Judicial Process in Brief 16
An Adversarial System 16
Fees and the Costs of Litigation 16
Procedural Rules for Conducting Litigation 16
Civil Cases 17
Criminal Cases 19
Jury Service 21
Bankruptcy Cases 23
The Appeals Process 25
Federal Judicial Administration 27
Individual Courts 27
The Circuit Judicial Councils 27
The Judicial Conference of the United States and National Administration 28
The Judiciary’s Budget 30
Commonly Asked Questions About the Federal Judicial Process 31
Common Legal Terms 35
Resources 48
United States District Courts 48
United States Courts of Appeals 51
Sources of Additional Information 52
About the Administrative Office of the United States Courts 52
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