law and policy

Overview of the Federal Court System

Dr. Barbara Cohen, PhD, JD, RN

Federal Court System • Supreme Court – Highest Court • Courts of Appeal – Intermediate Level • District Courts – Lowest Level

District Courts •  Lowest level in the Federal Court System •  94 judicial districts in 50 states and territories •  No appellate jurisdicLon – no appeals are heard here •  Original jurisdicLon over most cases – this is where cases are iniLally heard, where first trials will take place.

•  Examples of District Courts: •  Eastern District of New York – in Long Island and Brooklyn •  Southern District of New York – in Lower ManhaUan •  US District Court for the District of New Jersey (Newark, Trenton and Camden)

Courts of Appeal •  Intermediate Level in the Federal Court System •  12 regional circuit courts including the D.C. circuit •  No original jurisdicLon – appeals only •  This court does not try cases from the beginning of the case. These courts hear appeals from the (trial) District Courts.

•  Examples of Courts of Appeals •  1st Circuit Court of Appeals – Maine, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, MassachuseUs and Rhode Island

•  2nd Circuit Court of Appeals – New York, ConnecLcut and Vermont

•  3rd Circuit Court of Appeals – New Jersey, Parts of Pennsylvania, and Delaware

Supreme Court of The United States (SCOTUS)

•  The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. •  9 JusLces (with the Honorable JusLce Neil Gorsuch recently filling JusLce Antonin Scalia’s seat a`er JusLce Scalia’s death.

•  Note that Supreme Court appointments are for LIFE. This is to ensure that there is no undue influence on a jusLce for fear of losing his or her posiLon.

•  The Supreme Court has appeals jurisdicLon through the cerLorari process (Cases are appealed to the Supreme Court and permission is requested for a hearing. Not all cases are heard.)

•  The Supreme Court has limited original jurisdicLon of cases between states, between a state and a foreign government and in suits against a foreign ambassador or ministry so as to provide an unbiased court in which to hear these maUers.

Specialty Courts •  There are quite a few specialty courts in the Federal Court system in which technical, complex knowledge of smaller specialLes is required. •  Examples of specialty courts are: •  Bankruptcy Court •  Admiralty Court/MariLme Court •  Tax Court •  Court of Federal Claims •  Court of InternaLonal Tarde •  Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces •  Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims