CONTENTS
The Constitution and the Federal Judiciary
4
The Federal Courts in American Government
5The Federal Courts and Congress 5The Federal Courts and the Executive Branch 5The Federal Courts and the Public 6
Structure of the Federal Courts
8Trial Courts 8Appellate Courts 8United States Supreme Court 9
The Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts
10
United States Judges
13Appointment and Compensation 13Judicial Ethics 14Senior and Recalled Judges 15
The Federal Judicial Process in Brief
16An Adversarial System 16Fees and the Costs of Litigation 16Procedural Rules for Conducting Litigation 16Civil Cases 17Criminal Cases 19Jury Service21Bankruptcy Cases 23The Appeals Process25
Federal Judicial Administration
27Individual Courts 27The Circuit Judicial Councils 27The Judicial Conference of the United States and National Administration 28The Judiciary’s Budget30
Commonly Asked Questions About the Federal Judicial Process
31
Common Legal Terms
35
Resources
48United States District Courts 48United States Courts of Appeals51Sources of Additional Information52
About the Administrative Office of the United States Courts
52THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF U.S.COURTS
2