Follow Ballotpedia. Click here to follow election results! The United States federal courts are the system of courts organized under the United States Constitution and federal law. The federal courts decide disputes involving the Constitution and laws passed by Congress. Altogether, there are nearly 1, judgeships authorized across the courts in the federal court system. About half of the judges sitting on federal courts are appointed by the president of the United States for life terms.
The remaining judges are selected by judges sitting on circuit or district courts for terms of defined lengths. For a list of judges nominated by the current president, click here. To learn more about how federal judges are selected, click here. The map below shows the geography of the federal court system. Clicking on a district will take you directly to that court's page. Clicking on one of the numbered dots will take you to the corresponding circuit court page.
The sections below detail the different courts within the federal court structure. There are five types of courts outlined here: the Supreme Court of the United States , circuit courts , district courts , bankruptcy courts , and courts of specific subject-matter jurisdiction. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the nation and leads the judicial branch of the federal government. Its rulings are final and cannot be appealed to any other court.
Its rulings are used as precedent by other courts in the country. When the U. Supreme Court is asked to review a case, a petition for a writ A court's written order commanding the recipient to either do or refrain from doing a specified act. Supreme Court directing the lower court to transmit records for a case it will hear on appeal. Each term, approximately 7, to 8, new petitions are filed with the U.
Supreme Court. During its weekly conference—a private meeting of the justices—the court reviews petitions and decides whether or not to grant certiorari. The court accepts and hears arguments in about 80 cases per term and settles or more cases without hearing arguments. Granting certiorari requires affirmative votes from four justices. This page covers cases that were granted certiorari Latin for "to be more fully informed. Original jurisdiction cases typically involve disputes between two states.
A party may ask the U. Supreme Court to review a decision of the U. Court of Appeals, but the Supreme Court usually is under no obligation to do so.
Supreme Court is the final arbiter of federal constitutional questions. The Constitution states that federal judges are to be nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. They hold office during good behavior, typically, for life. Through Congressional impeachment proceedings, federal judges may be removed from office for misbehavior. State courts are the final arbiters of state laws and constitutions. Their interpretation of federal law or the U.
Constitution may be appealed to the U. District court judges enjoy life tenure, as mandated by Article III. Currently, there are over district judgeships authorized by Congress.
Multiple judges serve on each circuit, ranging from six on the First Circuit to 29 on the Ninth Circuit. Like district judges, circuit judges are nominated by the President, confirmed by the Senate, and enjoy life tenure in accordance with Article III of the Constitution. When a district court decides a case, litigants may appeal the decision to the corresponding appellate court.
There are some types of cases, however, such as some rulings by federal agencies, that are brought directly to circuit courts. Skip to main navigation. Federal courts hear cases involving the constitutionality of a law, cases involving the laws and treaties of the U.
The federal judiciary operates separately from the executive and legislative branches, but often works with them as the Constitution requires. Federal laws are passed by Congress and signed by the President. The judicial branch decides the constitutionality of federal laws and resolves other disputes about federal laws. Courts decide what really happened and what should be done about it.
They decide whether a person committed a crime and what the punishment should be. Depending on the dispute or crime, some cases end up in the federal courts and some end up in state courts. Learn more about the different types of federal courts. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. Article III of the U. Constitution created the Supreme Court and authorized Congress to pass laws establishing a system of lower courts.
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