Federal Courts

About The U.S. Courts Article III of the Constitution establishes the United States Supreme Court and grants Congress the power to create and operate other federal courts with lesser powers. These courts are authorized to hear civil or criminal cases that involve Constitutional issues or other matters of federal law. Currently there are 94 district courts (698 judges) and 13 circuit courts of appeal (179 judges). Under the Constitution’s effort to create an independent judiciary, judges are selected for lifetime appointments and may not be removed from office unless Congress impeaches them for committing serious crimes. The President and the Executive Branch determines who will be nominated to a federal judgeship for confirmation by the United States Senate. Senators or members of the House who are in the President’s political party often recommend the names of the nominees. Senators from the home states where the judicial districts are located often are influential in determining who is selected to be a judicial nominee, a traditional Senatorial courtesy called the “blue slip” process. After the President nominates a judicial candidate, the Senate Judiciary Committee conducts confirmation hearings for each nominee and later votes on whether to send the name to the full Senate for confirmation. This hearing process often is delayed due to political wrangling among Senators and with the Executive Office itself; in a few cases, judicial nominees never receive hearings nor are voted on by the full Senate. In addition, Senate filibusters by opponents have blocked nominees from being voted on for confirmation. In rare cases, the President has used an emergency provision called a “recess appointment” to temporarily appoint a judicial nominee to a court without Senate approval. Two other federal trial courts also address specific areas of legal jurisdiction: the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. Court of International Trade. The Court of Federal Claims, which focuses on regulatory disputes involving federal statutes, includes 16 judges nominated by the President and confirmed for 15-year terms by the Senate.

Federal Circuit Districts: United States Judgeships: 12 Address: Washington, D.C. 20439

District of Columbia Circuit Districts: District of Columbia Judgeships: 12 Address: Washington, D. C. 20001

First Circuit Districts: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Puerto Rico Judgeships: 6 Address: Boston, MA 02109

Second Circuit Districts: Connecticut, New York, and Vermont Judgeships: 13 Address: New York, NY 10007

Third Circuit Districts: Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the Virgin Islands Judgeships: 14 Address: Philadelphia, PA 19106

Fourth Circuit Districts: Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia Judgeships: 15 Address: Richmond, VA 23219

Fifth Circuit Districts: Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas Judgeships: 17 Address: New Orleans, LA 70130

Sixth Circuit Districts: Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee Judgeships: 16 Address: Cincinnati, OH 45202

Seventh Circuit Districts: Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin Judgeships: 11 Address: Chicago, IL 60604

Eighth Circuit Districts: Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota Judgeships: 11 Address: St. Louis, MO 63101

Ninth Circuit Districts: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands Judgeships: 28 Address: San Francisco, CA 94101

Tenth Circuit Districts: Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming Judgeships: 12 Address: Denver, CO 80294

Eleventh Circuit Districts: Alabama, Florida, and Georgia Judgeships: 12 Address: Atlanta, GA 30303

Court of Federal Claims Districts: United States Judgeships: 16 Address: Washington, DC 20005

Office of United States Courts "Understanding the Federal Courts": an educational website

American Law Sources Online: U.S. Federal Courts Explanation of the judicial system, and links to federal courts