How Federal Courts are Organized
U.S. District Courts
• District courts are the federal courts
where trials are held and lawsuits are
begun. 
• All states have at least one. Virginia has
two.
U.S. District Courts
• For all federal cases, district courts have
original jurisdiction, the authority to
hear the case for the first time. 
• District courts hear both civil and criminal
cases. 
• They are the only federal courts that
involve witnesses and juries.
U.S. District Courts (cont.)
Where are district courts located in the
federal court system pyramid?
District courts form the broad base at the
bottom of the pyramid.
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals
U.S. District Courts
U.S. Court of Appeals
• People who lose in a district court often
appeal to the next highest level–a U.S.
court of appeals. 
• Appeals courts review decisions made
in lower district courts. 
• This is appellate jurisdiction–the
authority to hear a case appealed from
a lower court.
U.S. Court of Appeals (cont.)
• Each of the 12 U.S. courts of appeals
covers a particular geographic area
called a circuit. 
• A thirteenth appeals court, the Court of
Appeals for the Federal Circuit, has
nationwide jurisdiction. 
• Appeals courts do not hold trials. 
• Instead, a panel of judges reviews the
case records and listens to arguments
from lawyers on both sides.
U.S. Court of Appeals (cont.)
• The judges may decide in one of three
ways:
• uphold the original decision,
• reverse the decision, or
• remand the case–send it back to the
lower court to be tried again.
U.S. Court of Appeals (cont.)
• Appeals courts do not decide guilt or
innocence or which side should win a
suit. 
• They rule only on whether the original
trial was fair and protected the person’s
rights. 
• Most appeals court decisions are final. 
• A few cases are appealed to the
Supreme Court.
U.S. Court of Appeals (cont.)
• One appellate judge writes an opinion
that explains the legal thinking behind
the court’s decision in the case. 
• The opinion sets a precedent or model
for other judges to follow in making their
own decisions on similar cases.
U.S. Court of Appeals (cont.)
Under what circumstances might someone
decide to appeal?
Lawyers usually appeal when they think the
judge in their case applied the law
incorrectly or used the wrong procedures or
if new evidence turns up. Appeals courts
may also review federal regulatory agency
rulings, if the people or groups involved
believe the agency acted unfairly.
Federal Judges (cont.)
• Presidents appoint federal judges, with
Senate approval. 
• They usually appoint judges who share
their views. 
• Because judges serve for life, presidents
view their appointments as an opportunity
to affect the country after they leave
office. 
• Once appointed, a judge can be
removed only through impeachment.
Federal Judges
• Every federal judicial district also has a
U.S. attorney–a government lawyer who
prosecutes people accused of breaking
federal laws. 
• U.S. attorneys look into the charges and
present the evidence in court. 
• They also represent the United States in
civil cases involving the government.
Federal Judges (cont.)
Why did the writers of the Constitution
decide to allow federal judges to keep their
jobs for life?
The writers gave federal judges this sort of
job security because they wanted judges to
be able to decide cases free from public or
political pressures. Federal judges know
that their jobs are safe even if they make
unpopular decisions.
Checking for Understanding
Define Match the terms on the right with their definitions on
the left.
__
A 1. federal courts where trials are held
and lawsuits are begun
A. district
courts
__
C 2. the authority of a court to hear a
case appealed from a lower court
B. appeals
courts
__
B 3. courts that review decisions made in C. appellate
lower district courts
jurisdiction
__
D 4. the authority to hear cases for the
first time
D. original
jurisdiction
Checking for Understanding (cont.)
Describe What takes place in federal
district courts that does not happen in
federal appeals courts or in the Supreme
Court?
District courts are the only federal courts
in which witnesses testify and juries hear
cases and reach verdicts.
Your Turn
1. How many district courts are in the United
States?
2. What are district courts?
3. What is the purpose of federal district courts?
4. What is the job of appeals courts?
5. Which court hears cases involving patent law
or international trade?
6. What does it mean if a judge remands a case?
7. Why is writing an opinion an important part of
a court’s decision?
8. How long may federal judges hold their
positions?