RLD - Federal Court Systems (Lesson)

Introduction

In this lesson. we will be looking at the federal courts system. You will be introduced to the structure of the federal court system and its jurisdictions. Federal courts hear cases involving federal matters and issues involving diversity of citizenship. In the next section, we will review how the federal courts are arranged. Review the diagram of the federal court system structure.

Below is a graphical view of how the U. S. Federal Court System is divided into judicial circuits:

The Federal Court System

Structure

It is important for everyone to know the structure of the court systems in our country and to understand how the legal system works. The federal courts are arranged in three tiers: U. S. District Courts located throughout the United States, U. S. Courts of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Legal cases generally begin in a lower court and sometimes work their way up to a higher court. Some cases that are initiated in a state court system may ultimately end up in the federal court system.

Federal courts have jurisdiction, or power and authority to hear a case and make a judgment, over the following types of cases:

Review the presentation below for more specific information on the federal court system.

Let's Review!

Take a moment to participate in the following activity to practice your understanding of the topics in this module.  Reach out to your instructor if you have any questions.

 

Final Thoughts

The structure of our country’s court system is divided into the federal court system and the individual state court systems. Even though as citizens most legal issues we may deal with will be handled through the state courts, it is important to know and understand how our federal court system works.

The federal court system has 3 main levels or tiers: district courts, circuit courts/appeals courts, and the U. S. Supreme Court.

There are 94 district courts, thirteen circuit courts of appeals, and the Supreme Court within the federal court system. The federal courts hear cases authorized by the United States Constitution or federal statutes.

In our next lesson, we will review the state court system structure. You will see the two court systems, even though there are some differences, are similar in a number of ways. Later on in this module we will review some of the landmark federal cases which have greatly impacted our society, even on through today.

 IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS