List of courts of the United States explained

The courts of the United States are closely linked hierarchical systems of courts at the federal and state levels. The federal courts form the judicial branch of the US government and operate under the authority of the United States Constitution and federal law. The state and territorial courts of the individual U.S. states and territories operate under the authority of the state and territorial constitutions and state and territorial law.

Federal statutes that refer to the "courts of the United States" are referring only to the courts of the federal government, and not the courts of the individual states and counties. Because of the federalist underpinnings of the division between sovereign federal and state governments, the various state court systems are free to operate in ways that vary widely from those of the federal government, and from one another. In practice, however, every state has adopted a division of its judiciary into at least two levels, and almost every state has three levels, with trial courts hearing cases which may be reviewed by appellate courts, and finally by a state supreme court. A few states have two separate supreme courts, with one having authority over civil matters and the other reviewing criminal cases. 47 states and the federal government allow at least one appeal of right from a final judgment on the merits, meaning that the court receiving the appeal must decide the appeal after it is briefed and argued properly. Three states do not provide a right to a first appeal. Rather, they give litigants only a right to petition for the right to have an appeal heard.

State courts often have diverse names and structures, as illustrated below. State courts hear about 98% of litigation; most states have courts of special jurisdiction, which typically handle minor disputes such as traffic citations, and courts of general jurisdiction responsible for more serious disputes.^[1]

The U.S. federal court system hears cases involving litigants from two or more states, violations of federal laws, treaties, and the Constitution, admiralty, bankruptcy, and related issues.^[2] In practice, about 80% of the cases are civil and 20% criminal.^[1] The civil cases often involve civil rights, patents, and Social Security while the criminal cases involve tax fraud, robbery, counterfeiting, and drug crimes.^[1] The trial courts are U.S. district courts, followed by United States courts of appeals and then the Supreme Court of the United States. The judicial system, whether state or federal, begins with a court of first instance, whose work may be reviewed by an appellate court, and then ends at the court of last resort, which may review the work of the lower courts.^[3]

Institutions which may be considered courts of the United States are listed below.

United States Federal Courts

See main article: United States Federal Courts.

Geographic based jurisdiction

• Trial Courts: United States district courts^[4] (see federal court sections by state below for specific district courts)
  • List of United States district and territorial courts (94 courts, also listed by state below)
• Appellate Courts: United States courts of appeals^[5]
  • United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit^[6]
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit^[7]
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit^[8]
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit^[9]
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit^[10]
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit^[11]
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit^[12]
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit^[13]
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit^[14]
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit^[15]
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit^[16]
  • United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit^[17]
• Court of last resort:
  • Supreme Court of the United States^[18]

Specific subject-matter jurisdiction

See also: Article I and Article III tribunals.

• United States federal courts with Original Jurisdiction over specific subject matter:
  • United States Tax Court^[19]
  • Patent Trial and Appeal Board
  • International Trade Commission
  • United States Court of International Trade^[20]
  • United States Court of Federal Claims^[21]
  • United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court^[22]
  • United States bankruptcy courts^[23]
  • Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
  • United States Merit Systems Protection Board
  • United States Alien Terrorist Removal Court
• Courts with Appellate Jurisdiction over specific subject matter:
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit^[24]
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces^[25]
    • United States Army Court of Criminal Appeals
    • Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals
    • Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals
    • Coast Guard Court of Criminal Appeals
  • United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims^[26]
  • United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review
  • United States Court of Military Commission Review
  • Civilian Board of Contract Appeals
  • Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals
  • Postal Service Board of Contract Appeals
  • Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition
  • Board of Immigration Appeals
  • Board of Veterans' Appeals

Former United States Courts

• Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (before 2012)
• Court of Appeals in Cases of Capture (1780–1789)
• Temporary Emergency Court of Appeals (1971–1992)^[27]
• United States circuit courts (1789–1911)
• United States Commerce Court (1910–1913)^[28]
• United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals (1909–1982)
• United States Court of Private Land Claims (1891–1904)^[29]
• United States Court for Berlin (1955–1990)
• United States District Court for the Canal Zone (1914–1982)
• United States Court for China (1906–1943)

Courts by state of the United States

• State supreme courts
  • State court (United States)

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Alabama

See main article: Courts of Alabama. ----

Alaska

See main article: Courts of Alaska. ----

Arizona

See main article: Courts of Arizona. ----

Arkansas

See main article: Courts of Arkansas. ----

California

See main article: Courts of California. ----

Colorado

See main article: Courts of Colorado. ----

Connecticut

See main article: Courts of Connecticut. ----

Delaware

See main article: Courts of Delaware. ----

Florida

See main article: Courts of Florida. ----

Georgia

See main article: Courts of Georgia (U.S. state). ----

Hawaii

See main article: Courts of Hawaii. ----

Idaho

See main article: Courts of Idaho. ----

Illinois

See main article: Courts of Illinois. ----

Indiana

See main article: Courts of Indiana. ----

Iowa

See main article: Courts of Iowa. ----

Kansas

See main article: Courts of Kansas. ----

Kentucky

See main article: Courts of Kentucky. ----

Louisiana

See main article: Courts of Louisiana. ----

Maine

See main article: Courts of Maine. ----

Maryland

See main article: Courts of Maryland. ----

Massachusetts

See main article: Courts of Massachusetts. ----

Michigan

See main article: Courts of Michigan. ----

Minnesota

See main article: Courts of Minnesota. ----

Mississippi

See main article: Courts of Mississippi. ----

Missouri

See main article: Courts of Missouri. ----

Montana

See main article: Courts of Montana. ----

Nebraska

See main article: Courts of Nebraska. ----

Nevada

See main article: Judiciary of Nevada. ----

New Hampshire

See main article: Courts of New Hampshire. ----

New Jersey

See main article: Courts of New Jersey. ----

New Mexico

See main article: Courts of New Mexico. ----

New York

See main article: Courts of New York. ----

North Carolina

See main article: Courts of North Carolina. ----

North Dakota

See main article: Courts of North Dakota. ----

Ohio

See main article: Courts of Ohio. ----

Oklahoma

See main article: Courts of Oklahoma. ----

Oregon

See main article: Courts of Oregon. ----

Pennsylvania

See main article: Courts of Pennsylvania. ----

Rhode Island

See main article: Courts of Rhode Island. ----

South Carolina

See main article: Courts of South Carolina. ----

South Dakota

See main article: Courts of South Dakota. ----

Tennessee

See main article: Courts of Tennessee. ----

Texas

See main article: Courts of Texas. ----

Utah

See main article: Courts of Utah. ----

Vermont

See main article: Courts of Vermont. ----

Virginia

See main article: Courts of Virginia. ----

Washington

See main article: Courts of Washington (state). ----

West Virginia

See main article: Courts of West Virginia. ----

Wisconsin

See main article: Courts of Wisconsin. ----

Wyoming

See main article: Courts of Wyoming. ----

Courts in the District of Columbia

• District of Columbia Court of Appeals^[30]
  • Superior Court of the District of Columbia^[31]

Federal courts located in the District of Columbia

• Supreme Court of the United States
  • United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
    • United States District Court for the District of Columbia^[32]
    • United States Tax Court
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
    • United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
    • United States Court of Federal Claims
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
  • United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review
    • United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court

Former federal courts in the District of Columbia

• United States District Court for the District of Potomac (1801–1802; also contained pieces of Maryland and Virginia; extinct, reorganized)

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Courts of the Territories of the United States

See also: United States territorial court.

American Samoa

• High Court of American Samoa^[33]

Guam

• Supreme Court of Guam^[34]
  • Superior Court of Guam^[35]

United States territorial court

• District Court of Guam^[36]

Northern Mariana Islands

• Northern Mariana Islands Supreme Court^[37]
  • Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court^[38]

United States territorial court

• United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands^[39]

Panama Canal Zone

• United States District Court for the Canal Zone^[40] (abolished 1982)

Puerto Rico

• Supreme Court of Puerto Rico (Tribunal Supremo de Puerto Rico)^[41]
  • Circuit Court of Appeals of Puerto Rico (Tribunal de Apelaciones)^[42]
  • * Courts of First Instance of Puerto Rico (Tribunal de Primera Instancia; 13 divisions)^[43]

Federal courts located in Puerto Rico:

• United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico^[44]

United States Virgin Islands

• United States Virgin Islands Supreme Court^[45]
  • United States Virgin Islands Superior Court (2 divisions)^[46]

United States territorial court

• District Court of the Virgin Islands^[47]

----

Extraterritorial courts of the United States

• United States Court for China (1906 to 1943), appointed judge held court in cities in China including Shanghai, Hankow, Tientsin, and Canton.^{[48] [49]}
• United States Court for Berlin (1979), existed on paper since 1955, but constituted in fact only once, to hear a single case.

U.S. judicial system in popular culture

Due to its involvement in the resolution of crimes and conflicts, which are an intricate part of drama, the U.S. judicial system is often portrayed in American literature and films.

Several Hollywood films such as A Few Good Men (1992) and Runaway Jury (2003) are set around its courts.

External links

• National Center for State Courts – directory of state court websites.

Notes and References

1. American Bar Association (2004). How the Legal System Works: The Structure of the Court System, State and Federal Courts. In ABA Family Legal Guide.
2. USCourts.gov. Comparing Federal and State Court Systems .
3. Public Services Department. INTRODUCTION TO THE COURT SYSTEM . Syracuse University College of Law.
4. Web site: United States District Courts . Uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081205020014/http://www.uscourts.gov/districtcourts.html . 2008-12-05 .
5. Web site: The Federal Judiciary – United States Courts of Appeals . Uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
6. Web site: US Courts for the First Circuit . Ca1.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
7. Web site: Home . Ca2.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
8. Web site: Third Judicial Circuit . Ca3.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
9. Web site: United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit . United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit . Ca4.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
10. Web site: U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit . Ca5.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
11. Web site: US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit . Ca6.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
12. Web site: Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals . Ca7.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
13. Web site: U.S. Court Court of Appeals – Welcome . Ca8.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
14. Web site: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit . Ca9.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
15. Web site: The U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals . Ca10.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
16. Web site: United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit . Ca11.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
17. Web site: U.S. Court of Appeals – D.C. Circuit – Home . Cadc.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
18. Web site: David Bozovich of Web Services, U.S. Government Printing Office . Supreme Court of the United States . supremecourt.gov . 2008-12-17.
19. Web site: United States Tax Court: Home . Ustaxcourt.gov . 2008-12-17.
20. Web site: Website of the United States Court of International Trade . Cit.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
21. Web site: US Court of Federal Claims . Uscfc.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
22. Web site: Federal Judicial History | Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court . Fjc.gov . 2008-12-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080928075038/http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/fisc_bdy%21OpenDocument%26Click%3D . September 28, 2008 .
23. Web site: United States Bankruptcy Courts . Uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081217025425/http://www.uscourts.gov/bankruptcycourts.html . 2008-12-17 .
24. Web site: United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit . Cafc.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
25. Web site: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces . Armfor.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
26. Web site: USCAVC – United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims . Vetapp.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090117185742/http://www.vetapp.uscourts.gov/ . 2009-01-17 .
27. Web site: History of the Federal Judiciary . Federal Judicial Center . 2009-01-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081120162901/http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/temp_appeals . November 20, 2008 .
28. Web site: Records of the United States Commerce Court . Archives.gov . 2008-12-17.
29. Joseph Ragland, Outline of the Jurisdiction and Procedure of the Federal Courts (1917), p. 112, §80.
30. Web site: District of Columbia Court of Appeals – Welcome . Dcca.state.dc.us . 2008-12-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081004123535/http://www.dcca.state.dc.us/dccourts/appeals/index.jsp . 2008-10-04 .
31. Web site: Superior Court of the District of Columbia – Welcome . Dccourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
32. Web site: Maureen A. Lawrie . U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia . Dcd.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
33. Web site: American Samoa – Guide to Court Resources . Usdoj.gov . 2008-12-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090116182802/http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/ls/americansamoa1.htm . 2009-01-16 .
34. Web site: Unified Courts of Guam – Supreme Court of Guam . Justice.gov.gu . 2008-12-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060702211932/http://www.justice.gov.gu/supreme.html . 2006-07-02 .
35. Web site: Unified Courts of Guam . Justice.gov.gu . 2008-12-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060702211531/http://www.justice.gov.gu/superior.html . 2006-07-02 .
36. Web site: District Court of Guam . Gud.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
37. Web site: Supreme Court . Justice.gov.mp . 2008-12-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090106133357/http://www.justice.gov.mp/supreme_court.aspx . 2009-01-06 .
38. Web site: Superior Court . Justice.gov.mp . 2008-12-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090124210726/http://www.justice.gov.mp/superior_court.aspx . 2009-01-24 .
39. Web site: United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands . Nmid.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
40. Web site: Franklin D. Roosevelt: Executive Order 7676 – THE CANAL ZONE JUDICIARY . Presidency.ucsb.edu . 2008-12-17.
41. http://www.tribunalpr.org Tribunal Supremo de Puerto Rico
42. http://www.ramajudicial.pr/sistema/apelaciones.htm Tribunal de Apelaciones de Puerto Rico
43. http://www.ramajudicial.pr/sistema/instancia.htm Tribunal de Primera Instancia de Puerto Rico
44. Web site: US District Court – Puerto Rico District . Prd.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081217090859/http://www.prd.uscourts.gov/CourtWeb/Welcome.aspx . 2008-12-17 .
45. Web site: Welcome to the website of the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands . Visupremecourt.org . 2008-12-17.
46. Web site: Welcome to the V.I. Superior Court Online . Visuperiorcourt.org . 2008-12-17.
47. Web site: Web Site of the District Court of the Virgin Islands . Vid.uscourts.gov . 2008-12-17.
48. Teemu Ruskola, Law's Empire: The Legal Construction of 'America' in the 'District of China'
49. Joseph Ragland, Outline of the Jurisdiction and Procedure of the Federal Courts (1917), p. 112–13, §81.