Article III of the U.S. Constitution establishes the judicial branch as one of the three separate and distinct branches of the federal government. These three branches — legislative, executive, …

Whereas the Executive and Legislative branches are elected by the people, members of the Judicial Branch are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

The federal judiciary of the United States is one of the three branches of the U.S. federal government organized under the U.S. Constitution and laws of the federal government. The …

Jan 2, 2026 · The chart above shows the three levels of courts in the U.S. Federal system. While the Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States, cases begin in the lowest courts …

Sep 22, 2025 · Learn about the 3 branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. Understand how each branch of U.S. government provides checks and balances.

At the highest level, the judicial branch is led by the U.S. Supreme Court, which consists of nine Justices. In the federal system, the lower courts consist of the district courts and the courts of …

There are seven courts of subject-matter jurisdiction in the federal court system. For a summary of these courts, see Federal subject-matter jurisdiction courts. For more details about the courts, …

Every state has at least one federal district, and some have as many as four. The District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands each …

A Dual System: The judicial branch operates at both the federal and state levels, and understanding which court has authority over your issue—known as jurisdiction —is the critical …

Under this principle the judicial system functions as an integrated unit consisting of one supreme court, one court of appeals, one trial court (known as the circuit court), and several trial courts …