The federal court system has an intermediate level appellate court, which is called the court of appeals. The President of the United States appoints all federal judges, including federal court of appeals judges. However, the United States Senate has to confirm each appointment. Federal judges are appointed for life.
Our legal system requires a fair and independent judiciary. In order to maintain public trust in our system of justice, judges must conduct themselves in an ethical manner. There are codes of conduct, which set standards of behavior for state and federal judges. These standards are aimed at assuring the impartiality of judges and reducing the possibility of conflicts of interest.
Jurisdiction refers to the authority of a court to hear and decide a case. A federal court has subject matter jurisdiction in two broad categories of cases. The federal court has federal question jurisdiction, which is the authority to hear legal disputes involving the U.S. Constitution, federal laws, and treaties. The federal court also has diversity jurisdiction, which means lawsuits between two states or between citizens of two different states in a case in which at least $75,000 of damages is sought.
e American judicial system has its origin in English common law. English common law is made up of two distinct court systems--courts of law (which can award money damages) and courts of equity (also called courts of chancery, which have the power to grant equitable remedies).
Judicial administration refers to the management of state and federal court systems. The chief judge or justice of the court is ultimately responsible for the functioning of the court. Court administrators are responsible for many of the court's day-to-day operations such as budgets, personnel supervision, and the preparation of statistics and annual reports. Court clerks manage court calendars and court records. Other aspects of judicial administration include jury management, assignment of cases to judges, and oversight of ethical complaints against lawyers.
