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Appellate Courts
REVIEWED BY WILL KENTON | Updated Jul 22, 2019

What Are Appellate Courts?

Appellate courts are the part of the judicial
system that is responsible for hearing and
reviewing appeals from legal cases that have
already been heard in a trial-level or other
lower court. Persons or entities such as
corporations having an unsuccessful outcome
in a trial-level or other lower court may file an
appeal with an appellate court to have the
decision reviewed. Appellate courts are present
at the state and federal levels. These courts do
not include a jury.

K E Y TA K E A W AYS

Appellate courts hear and review

appeals from legal cases that have
already been heard in a trial-level or
other lower court.
Appellate courts are present at the
state and federal levels and they do
not include a jury.
There are 13 appeals courts on the
federal level, with each state having
their own appeals court system, some
of which include intermediate
appellate courts.

How Appellate Courts Work

Appellate courts exist as part of the judicial
system to provide those who have judgments
made against them an opportunity to have
their case reviewed. A corporation with an
unfavorable judgment against it will likely see a
drop in share price, but an appeal could
overturn this previous ruling. If an appeal is
successful, the stock price usually jumps.

Important: Appellate courts review

the decisions of lower courts to
determine if the court applied the
law correctly.

Courts at the appellate level review the

findings and evidence from the lower court and
determine if there is sufficient evidence to
support the determination made by the lower
court. Also, the appellate court will determine if
the trial or lower court correctly applied the
law. The highest form of an appellate court in
the U.S. is the U.S. Supreme Court, which hears
only appeals of major importance and
consequence.

Appellate Courts vs. Supreme

Courts
Supreme courts have more authority than
appellate courts. Meanwhile, the US Supreme
Court is the highest authority there is. Supreme
courts review decisions made by appeals
courts. Overall, there are 13 appellate courts on
the federal level⁠—12 district appellate courts
and an appeals court for the Federal Circuit.

Many states have intermediate appellate

courts, which serve as appeals courts meant to
cut down on the workload for the state
Supreme Court. Forty-one of the 50 states have
at least one intermediate appellate court.

Related Terms
Petition
A petition is a legal document formally requesting a
court order, which, along with complaints, are
considered pleadings at the onset of a lawsuit. more

Stare Decisis and Legal Court

Precedents
Stare decisis is a legal doctrine that obligates courts
to follow historical cases when making a ruling on a
similar case. more

Common Laws Are Unwritten Legal

Precedents That Guide Court
Decisions
Common law is a body of unwritten laws based on
legal precedents and will often guide court
judgments and rulings when the outcome cannot be
determined based on existing statutes or written
rules of law. more

Introduction to Writ Documents

A writ is a legal document written by a judge or
another body with jurisdiction to perform or cease
performing a specified action. more

De Novo Judicial Review

De novo judicial review describes a review by a court
of appeals of a trial court’s decision, used in
questions of how the law was applied or interpreted.
more

Bankruptcy Court
Bankruptcy court is a specific kind of federal court
that deals with bankruptcy. more

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