What Are the Trial Courts of the Federal Court System?

The president appoints all federal judges with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate.

The U.S. Constitution established the Supreme Court and gave Congress the authority to establish "lesser courts" as necessary. Congress established district courts for general matters and special courts for four particular issue areas. District and special courts hold trials. Appellate courts do not hold trials; they hear arguments about technical legal issues that arise in the trial courts. The U.S. Supreme Court is the nation's highest appeals court. It is a trial court only for the specific types of cases listed in the Constitution.

U.S. District Courts

Each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico host at least one of the 94 federal district courts. Three U.S. territories -- the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands -- each belong to one of the 94 districts. Each district court has a civil and a criminal division.

Civil courts hear disputes among individuals, companies and government agencies involving contracts, regulations and financial matters. The successful, or "winning," party usually receives money or some other tangible benefit as compensation for its injuries. Criminal courts hear cases in which the defendant can go to prison if convicted.

Federal District Court Jurisdiction

The public often confuses the terms "venue" and "jurisdiction." Venue is merely an issue of geography. For example, the Western District of Pennsylvania hears cases that arise within that geographic area. Jurisdiction involves a case's subject matter. U.S. District Courts have jurisdiction over cases that involve six specific areas: whether a law is constitutional, U.S. laws and treaties, ambassadors and cabinet-level officials, disagreements between two or more states, maritime (naval) law and bankruptcy cases.

U.S. Special Courts

The Special Courts division has two trial courts. Congress established the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in 1855, enabling individuals to sue the federal government for monetary reimbursement of alleged damages. The U.S. Tax Court hears cases involving the federal tax code.

U.S. Supreme Court As a Trial Court

The U.S. Constitution, Article III, Section 2, states that the U.S. Supreme Court will serve as a trial court in all cases affecting ambassadors, cabinet-level officials and cases in which one of the U.S. states is involved as a party.

References

• USA.gov: Federal Judicial Branch

Resources

• The White House: Our Government: The Judicial Branch
• U.S. Courts: Geographic Boundaries of U.S. Courts of Appeals and U.S. District Courts