How cases reach the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court hears about 150 cases a year. The chart below shows the basic structure of the U.S. court system, and the ways in which cases reach the Supreme Court. It also explains the Court's jurisdiction (the areas in which it has the power to interpret and apply the law), and the roles of lower federal and state courts. Study the chart and then answer the questions below.

Panel 4: How Cases Reach the Supreme Court

QUESTIONS

1. What does it mean when the U.S. Supreme Court issues a
writ of certiorari?

2. What is the definition of jurisdiction?

3. In what kinds of cases does the Supreme Court have original
jurisdiction?

4. What kinds of appeals must the Supreme Court hear?

5. How much money is involved in a case that is being tried in
U.S. Claims Court?

6. How many U.S district courts are there?

7. Which U.S. court handles most appeals in patent-rights cases?

8. What kinds of cases do state supreme courts review?

9. Which court handles federal lawsuits involving imports and
international trade?

10. Imagine you are a government contractor and want to sue the
U.S. government. In which court should you file your complaint?

Answers

1. The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to review a decision by a lower
federal or state court. If at least four justices want to review
the case, the Court issues a writ of certiorari.
2. The areas in which a court has the power to interpret and
apply the law.
3. It must hear: cases in which the U.S. is sued by one of the
states or an individual, or in which one state sues another;
and lawsuits involving ambassadors and other foreign officials.
4. Appeals that seek to declare federal or state laws
unconstitutional.
5. More than $10,000
6. 94
7. U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
8. They review state appellate court rulings.
9. U.S. Court of International Trade
10. U.S. Claims Court