American Government › Section M · The courts › Topic M.3
The federal court system
Below the Supreme Court sits a large network of trial and appeals courts that decides almost every federal case to its end. This topic explains how that network is built, why precedent holds it together, and how its judges are chosen.
In this topic
- Three tiers
- The district courts
- The courts of appeals
- How the system grew
- Specialised federal courts
- Precedent holds the system together
- Worked example: one question, two circuits
- Choosing federal judges
- Ideology, legacy and surprises
- Worked example: a more diverse bench
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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