1. The Courts and What They Do

2. Structure of U.S. Court System
U.S. Supreme Court
Original jurisdiction
State Supreme Courts
U.S. Circuit Cts
State Cts of Appeals
Federal Trial Cts
State Trial Cts

3. What Courts Do Resolve Disputes Interpret Law Civil Cases
Criminal Cases
Interpret Law
Regulations (from bureaucracy)
Statutes
Constitution
Judicial Review

4. Civil Law Plaintiff v. Defendant Types of Civil Law
Contracts
Torts
Sources of Civil Law
Statutes
Common Law

5. Criminal Law
State v. Individual (or Corporation)
Statutory

6. Interpreting Law and Judicial Review
Do bureaucratic regulations square with legislation?
Does legislation square with the constitution?

7. Trial Courts
Find facts
Apply law to facts
May use juries

8. Appellate Courts Was the law correctly interpreted and applied?
Don’t mess with facts!
No juries, no witnesses
Briefs
Oral argument
“the record”

9. State Courts 97% of cases filed in state court
Most states elect judges

10. Federal Courts Judges appointed Life tenure Salary secure
Senatorial courtesy
Life tenure
Salary secure