Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. Article III of the U.S. Constitution created the Supreme Court and authorized Congress to pass laws establishing a system of lower courts.
U.S. Courts of Appeals
There are 13 appellate courts that sit below the U.S. Supreme Court, and they are called the U.S. Courts of Appeals. The 94 federal judicial districts are organized into 12 regional circuits, each of which has a court of appeals. The appellate court’s task is to determine whether or not the law was applied correctly in the trial court. Appeals courts consist of three judges and do not use a jury.
First Circuit
Second Circuit
Third Circuit
Fourth Circuit
Fifth Circuit
Sixth Circuit
Seventh Circuit
Eighth Circuit
Ninth Circuit
Tenth Circuit
Eleventh Circuit
District of Columbia Circuit
Federal Circuit
A court of appeals hears challenges to district court decisions from courts located within its circuit, as well as appeals from decisions of federal administrative agencies.
In addition, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has nationwide jurisdiction to hear appeals in specialized cases, such as those involving patent laws, and cases decided by the U.S. Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
District Courts
The nation’s 94 district or trial courts are called U.S. District Courts. District courts resolve disputes by determining the facts and applying legal principles to decide who is right.
Trial courts include the district judge who tries the case and a jury that decides the case. Magistrate judges assist district judges in preparing cases for trial. They may also conduct trials in misdemeanor cases.
There is at least one district court in each state, and the District of Columbia. Each district includes a U.S. bankruptcy court as a unit of the district court. Four territories of the United States have U.S. district courts that hear federal cases, including bankruptcy cases: Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
There are also two special trial courts. The Court of International Trade addresses cases involving international trade and customs laws. The U.S. Court of Federal Claims deals with most claims for money damages against the U.S. government.
Bankruptcy Courts
Federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction over bankruptcy cases involving personal, business, or farm bankruptcy. This means a bankruptcy case cannot be filed in state court. Through the bankruptcy process, individuals or businesses that can no longer pay their creditors may either seek a court-supervised liquidation of their assets, or they may reorganize their financial affairs and work out a plan to pay their debts.
Bankruptcy Appellate Panels
Bankruptcy Appellate Panels (BAPs) are 3-judge panels authorized to hear appeals of bankruptcy court decisions. These panels are a unit of the federal courts of appeals, and must be established by that circuit.
Five circuits have established panels: First Circuit, Sixth Circuit, Eighth Circuit, Ninth Circuit, and Tenth Circuit.
U.S. Probation & Pretrial Services
Alabama Northern Prob/Pretrial Office
Alabama Southern Prob/Pretrial Office
Alaska
Arizona Pretrial Services
Arizona Probation Office
Arkansas Western Prob/Pretrial Office
California Central Pretrial Services
California Central Probation Office
California Eastern Probation Office
California Northern Probation Office
California Southern Pretrial Services
California Southern Probation Office
Connecticut Prob/Pretrial Office
District of Columbia Prob/Pretrial Office
Florida Northern Prob/Pretrial Services
Georgia Middle Prob/Pretrial Office
Georgia Northern Prob/Pretrial Office
Georgia Southern Prob/Pretrial Office
Hawaii
Illinois Northern Pretrial Services
Illinois Northern Probation Office
Illinois Southern Prob/Pretrial Office
Indiana Northern Prob/Pretrial Office
Indiana Southern Prob/Pretrial Office
Iowa Southern Prob/Pretrial Office
Kentucky Western Prob/Pretrial Office
Louisiana Middle Prob/Pretrial Office
Maryland
Massachusetts Probation Office
Michigan Eastern Pretrial Services
Michigan Eastern Probation Office
Michigan Western Prob/Pretrial Office
Minnesota Prob/Pretrial Office
Mississippi Southern Prob/Pretrial Services
Missouri Eastern Pretrial Services
Missouri Eastern Probation Office
Missouri Western Prob/Pretrial Office
Montana
Nebraska Pretrial Services
Nebraska Probation Office
Nevada
New Hampshire Prob/Pretrial Office
New Jersey Pretrial Services
New Jersey Probation Office
New Mexico Prob/Pretrial Office
New York Eastern Pretrial Services
New York Eastern Probation Office
New York Northern Prob/Pretrial Office
New York Southern Probation Office
New York Western Prob/Pretrial Office
North Carolina Eastern Prob/Pretrial Office
North Carolina Middle Prob/Pretrial Office
North Carolina Western Prob/Pretrial Office
North Dakota
Ohio Northern Prob/Pretrial Office
Ohio Southern Pretrial Services
Ohio Southern Probation Office
Oklahoma Eastern Prob/Pretrial Office
Oklahoma Northern Prob/Pretrial Office
Oklahoma Western Prob/Pretrial Office
Pennsylvania Eastern Probation Office
Pennsylvania Western Prob/Pretrial Office
Puerto Rico Prob/Pretrial Office
Rhode Island Prob/Pretrial Office
South Dakota Probation and Pretrial Services
Tennessee Eastern Prob/Pretrial Office
Tennessee Middle Prob/Pretrial Office
Tennessee Western Probation Office
Texas Eastern Prob/Pretrial Office
Texas Northern Prob/Pretrial Office
Texas Southern Probation Office
Texas Western Pretrial Services
Texas Western Probation Office
Utah
Virginia Eastern Prob/Pretrial Office
Washington Western Prob/Pretrial Office
West Virginia Northern Prob/Pretrial Office
West Virginia Southern Prob/Pretrial Office
Wisconsin Eastern Prob/Pretrial Office
Wisconsin Western Prob/Pretrial Office
Article I Courts
Congress created several Article I, or legislative courts, that do not have full judicial power. Judicial power is the authority to be the final decider in all questions of Constitutional law, all questions of federal law and to hear claims at the core of habeas corpus issues. Article I Courts are:
