1. The Federal Court System
Judicial Branch
The Federal Court System

2. The National Judiciary
Created under Article III Section 1
Created a Dual Court System
Original Jurisdiction:
-a court in which a case is first heard
Appellate Jurisdiction:
-a court that hears a case on appeal from a lower court

3. Who’s involved Plaintiff: -the person who files suit Defendant:
-the person whom the complaint is against

4. Appointment of Judges
The President names a judge and Congress must approve
Appointed for life, may be removed only through impeachment
Special Court judges hold terms

5. Supreme Court A Chief Justice and 8 Associate Justices
Chief Justice: John G. Roberts (GW)
Sonia Sotomayor(BO)
Clarence Thomas(GHW)
Elena Kagan (BO)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg(C)
Anthony Kennedy(R)
Stephen Breyer(C)
Neil Gorsuch (T)
Samuel Alito(GW)

6. The Judicial Branch – The Supreme Court
Supreme Court Justices
-There are eight associate justices and one chief justice
-No set formal qualifications
Informal qualification
-All have been lawyers
-Most have been judges
-Many have been public officials
-W.H. Taft was the only chief justice to have been President first

7. The Judicial Branch – The Supreme Court
Appointment by the President and approval by the Senate
The President tries to appoint judges who share the same ideology, but once appointed the have no obligation to follow the President’s line

8. Court Operations Oral Arguments: hears both sides
Briefs: written documents that support the sides of the case
Conference: Judges meet to consider the cases
Opinions: official decision of the case

9. Opinions Majority Opinion: official opinion
Precedents: examples to be followed in similar cases as they arise in lower courts
Concurring Opinion: add or emphasize a point that was not made
Dissenting Opinion: justices who do not agrees with the majority opinion