Federal Court System

The lowest level of federal courts are called district courts. They have original jurisdiction only, meaning they only hold trials. Judges or juries make decisions in these courts.

There are 94 US District Courts. Each state has at least one district court. There is a district court located in each of the following: Washington, DC; Puerto Rico; Guam; US Virgin Islands; and Northern Mariana Islands. The closest US district court to us is in Norfolk.

These courts have appellate jurisdiction. They hear appeals of cases from the US district courts and some specialized cases from other courts.

There are 12 of these courts, one each in the numbered map areas seen here. The Federal Circuit Court brings the total number of these courts to 13. We are located in the 4th circuit, centered in Richmond.

These courts have appellate jurisdiction, meaning they do NOT hold trials. Decisions are made by panels of 3 judges. There are no juries in these courts.