Table of Contents |
In the United States, there is a federal system of courts and a state system of courts. The systems deal with different types of cases, based on jurisdiction and legal authority. In this lesson, we will discuss the structure of the federal and state court systems.
The federal court system gets its authority from Article III of the U.S. Constitution (Doctrine on Federal and State Courts, n.d.), which establishes the Supreme Court and gives Congress the authority to create lower courts. The structure of the federal court system includes three main levels: U.S. District Courts, U.S. Courts of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court (United States Courts, 2023).
The U.S. District Courts are the trial courts in the federal system. They are where most federal cases start, including civil and criminal matters. These courts have jurisdiction over cases involving federal laws, disputes between citizens of different states where the amount involved exceeds $75,000 (28 U.S. Code § 1332, n.d.), cases involving the U.S. government as a party, and constitutional matters.
There are 94 federal judicial districts, including at least one district in each state, as well as in Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico (About U.S. Federal Courts, 2024). Each district court has a judge, appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate (United States Courts, 2020).
The U.S. Courts of Appeals, also known as the Circuit Courts, are the intermediate appellate courts in the federal system. These courts review cases from the district courts, determining whether there were legal errors that affected the trial's outcome.
There are 13 Courts of Appeals, organized geographically into circuits (United States Courts, 2023).
Twelve of these are regional, covering groups of states, while the thirteenth, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, has nationwide jurisdiction over specialized cases, such as those involving patent law or decisions from specialized federal courts. A panel of three judges typically hears cases in the Courts of Appeals. Like district court judges, appellate judges are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court in the country, and it is mostly an appellate court. Most cases reach the Supreme Court on appeal from the Courts of Appeals or state supreme courts. However, it does have original jurisdiction in cases involving ambassadors or disputes between states (Overview of Supreme Court Jurisdiction, 2024). We will discuss more about different types of jurisdictions in the next lesson. The Supreme Court chooses which cases to hear, generally selecting those that present significant constitutional issues.
Front row, left to right: Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., and Associate Justice Elena Kagan.
Back row, left to right: Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Associate Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, Associate Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, and Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
The Court consists of nine justices, including one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices (Supreme Court of the United States, 2019), all appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
Because this court is so important, we will devote a future lesson to learning about it in more depth.
In addition to the general federal courts, there are several specialized courts that deal with specific types of legal matters (United States, 2023). These specialized courts function within the federal system but focus on areas of law, providing expertise in handling these cases.
These include:
| Specialized Court | Seal | Description |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Court of Federal Claims |
|
This court handles monetary claims against the U.S. government. |
| U.S. Court of International Trade |
|
This court deals with cases involving international trade and customs laws. |
| U.S. Tax Court |
|
This court hears disputes between taxpayers and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regarding federal income taxes. |
| Military Courts |
|
This court deals with matters related to military justice under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). |
Each state has its own court system, operating independently from the federal courts, but the structure is similar. State courts handle most legal cases in the U.S., including most criminal and civil cases involving state law. The structure of state court systems varies by state but generally includes three levels:
Like the U.S. District Courts in the federal system, the state court system begins with trial courts. These courts are divided into courts of general jurisdiction and courts of limited jurisdiction. Courts of general jurisdiction handle a wide range of cases, including all types of criminal and civil cases. Courts of limited jurisdiction, such as small claims courts, traffic courts, and family courts, focus on specific types of cases (United States Courts, 2024).
Most states have an intermediate appellate court system, which hears appeals from trial courts. These courts function like the U.S. Courts of Appeals, reviewing trial court decisions for legal errors. They do not conduct new trials but focus on whether the law was applied correctly in the lower court. In states without intermediate appellate courts, appeals go directly from the trial courts to the state supreme court (Intermediate Appellate Courts, n.d.).
The state supreme court is the highest court in the state judicial system. It has final authority over state law, and its decisions are binding on all lower state courts. Like the U.S. Supreme Court, state supreme courts can choose which cases to hear. The structure of state supreme courts varies, with some states having justices elected by voters, while others appoint them through a merit-based system. State supreme court decisions can only be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court if they involve federal law or constitutional issues (United States Courts, 2024).
Some cases, like those involving both state and federal laws, can be heard in either system, allowing federal courts to interpret state laws and vice versa. Appeals from state courts can sometimes reach the federal courts, particularly when constitutional issues are involved or when state court decisions conflict with federal laws. In such cases, the U.S. Supreme Court may step in to resolve discrepancies, ensuring consistency in how laws are applied across the nation. Additionally, federal courts can have concurrent jurisdiction with state courts, meaning certain cases may be tried in either court system, giving plaintiffs a choice in where to file their cases (Federal and State Courts, 2023).
Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY SOPHIA LEARNING. PLEASE SEE OUR TERMS OF USE
REFERENCES
28 U.S. Code § 1332 - Diversity of citizenship; amount in controversy; costs. (n.d.). LII / Legal Information Institute. www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/1332
About U.S. Federal Courts – Federal Bar Association. (2024). www.fedbar.org/for-the-public/about-u-s-federal-courts/
Doctrine on Federal and State Courts. (n.d.). LII / Legal Information Institute. www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan/article-3/section-1/doctrine-on-federal-and-state-courts
Federal and State Courts: Structure and Interaction. (2023). crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47641
Intermediate appellate courts. (n.d.). Ballotpedia. ballotpedia.org/Intermediate_appellate_courts
Overview of Supreme Court Jurisdiction. (2024). LII / Legal Information Institute. www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan/article-3/section-2/clause-2/overview-of-supreme-court-jurisdiction
Supreme Court of the United States. (2019). Justices. Supremecourt.gov. www.supremecourt.gov/about/justices.aspx
United States Courts. (2024). Comparing Federal & State Courts. United States Courts. www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/court-role-and-structure/comparing-federal-state-courts
United States Courts. (2023). Court Role and Structure. United States Courts; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/court-role-and-structure
United States Courts. (2020). About federal judges. United States Courts. www.uscourts.gov/judges-judgeships/about-federal-judges
