District courts
Usually the federal trial courts. They hear evidence, decide factual disputes and apply federal law.
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How Federal Courts Work
A court order, a trial judgment and a final appeal are not the same thing. Learn how the judiciary reviews legal questions.
Where federal cases go
Courts of appeals
Review decisions and legal issues from lower courts or certain agencies, generally without retrying evidence.
Supreme Court
The nation's highest court. It exercises original jurisdiction in limited categories and selects most appeals it hears.
What judicial review can—and cannot—do
Federal courts can decide whether laws or government actions violate the Constitution when those questions arise in cases within their jurisdiction. A temporary order, preliminary injunction, trial judgment and final appellate decision are different legal stages. A headline saying a court “blocked” something may not mean the underlying dispute is over.
Federal and state courts have different jurisdictions and structures. State-law disputes ordinarily begin in state systems, although federal constitutional questions may arise.