The Federal Court System Structure 3 Tier Structure 1) U.S. District Courts- Trial Courts - 94 judicial districts - Each state has at least one.

U.S. Court of Appeals

The Federal Court System U.S. Court of Appeals- (appellate court) Circuit court of appeals 13 Judicial circuits Review the record of lower court proceedings and determine if mistake has been made.

U.S. Court of Appeals

The Federal Court System U.S. Supreme Court Highest court in the U.S. 9 Justices Nominated by the President, confirmed by the Senate

The Federal Court System Jurisdiction The authority to decide a case. Original Jurisdiction- court hears case for the first time. Appellate Jurisdiction- appears in an appeals court.

The Federal Court System When does the Fed. Gov’t have jurisdiction? 1) Federal Question- - Constitution, treaties, or Federal law. 2) Diversity of Citizenship- - Parties in lawsuit live in different states, or are foreign gov’t or citizen. - Amounts in question is more than $75,000. Remember- Exclusive jurisdiction Concurrent jurisdiction