Federal Court System Overview

Federal Court System

• The US court system forms the judicial branch
• Federal courts hear cases involving federal law, or civil cases between states with disputes exceeding $75,000
• The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) is the highest court, established by Article III of the US Constitution
• Congress has the power to create lower federal courts
• There are 94 federal judicial districts in the US, each with a federal trial court (including bankruptcy courts)
• These districts are grouped into 12 regional circuits, each with a court of appeals to review decisions made by the trial court
• The federal circuit court handles cases nationwide focused on specific issues such as international trade, patents, veterans' issues, and monetary claims against the federal government.
• Federal judges are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate
• Judges' positions are protected by the Constitution, and they can only be removed via impeachment.
• The SCOTUS comprises 9 justices who interpret the Constitution and create legal precedents through majority decisions.
• Lower court decisions are subject to review and potential reversal by SCOTUS
• SCOTUS frequently hears cases related to significant issues like civil rights and abortion
• Justices are appointed for life.
• The SCOTUS receives thousands of petitions for review each year, but the Court exercises discretion in selecting which cases to hear (approximately 80 per year).
• The process for a case reaching SCOTUS entails written arguments from both parties, and oral arguments presented before the justices (who then meet privately to deliberate) before releasing their decisions to the public
• The petition process is initiated by the losing party in a lower court appealing their case, which the winning side can try to refute
• Federal courts are prioritized over state courts by SCOTUS
• The SCOTUS prioritizes federal cases over state cases in deciding which ones to hear.
• The SCOTUS uses a 4/9 rule, where at least four justices must agree to hear a case
• The decision to hear a case is determined by the losing party appealing it.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

• Eliminated racial segregation in public schools.