U.S. Courts of Appeals Information

Attorneys, law clerks, librarians, court clerks and many other administrative professionals support the judges and work of the U.S. courts of appeals. The U.S. Courts of Appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal court system. The parties in cases decided by district courts may appeal to the court of appeals if they believe the law was not applied correctly or a procedural error occurred. The 94 federal judicial districts are each located in one of 12 regional circuits, which has its own court of appeals. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has nationwide jurisdiction to hear appeals in specialized cases. Each U.S. court of appeals hears cases from district courts located within its circuit, as well as decisions from certain federal administrative agencies. The number of judges on each appeals court is different, but appeals arguments typically are heard by three-judge panels. We invite you to learn more about us and join the people who work to help ensure equal justice under the law.