Generally, the federal and state court systems in the United States are divided into three main parts:
- Trial Courts
- Intermediate Appellate Courts
- Final Appellate Courts
Federal Courts:
♦ District Courts (i.e. Trial Courts):
- Divided into 94 judicial districts
- One district in each state and the District of Columbia + Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, & the Northern Mariana Islands
- Two specialized courts:
- The court of International Trade
- The U.S. Court of Federal Claims
♦ Court of Appeals (i.e. Intermediate Appellate Courts)
- 12 regional circuits encompassing specific judicial districts
- Decisions are binding on the district courts within its circuit
- Also a Court of Appeal for the Federal Circuit hears appeals for the Court of International Trade & the U.S. Court of Federal Claims + some specialized cases such as patent cases
♦ Supreme Court (i.e. Final Appellate Court):
- Hears a limited number of cases, at its discretion, involving important questions of federal law
- Decisions are binding on all federal courts, and are binding on state courts regarding issues of the Constitution and federal law
- A case from a state's highest court may be appealed to the Supreme Court if there is a federal legal question involved
