Court System Structure

Generally the federal and state courts in the United States are divided into three main parts:
Trial Courts
Intermediate Appellate Courts
Final Appellate Courts
Federal Courts: the District Courts are the trial courts, where the action is initially filed; the
Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court; and the Supreme Court is the final appellate
court.
District Courts: are divided into 94 judicial districts. There is at least one district in each state, plus the
District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. There are also district courts in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam,
and the Northern Mariana Islands. There are also two specialized courts: the Court of International
Trade and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
Court of Appeals: are divided into 12 regional circuits, each encompassing specific judicial
districts. The Court of Appeals decisions are binding on the district courts within its circuit. There is
also a Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which hears appeals from the specialized district level
courts (Court of Intl Trade and U.S. Court of Federal Claims), as well as certain specialized cases, such
as patent cases
Supreme Court: the Supreme Court hears a limited number of cases, at its discretion, which generally
involve important questions of federal law. The decisions of the Supreme Court are binding on all
federal courts, and are binding on state courts regarding issues of the Constitution and federal law. A
case from a state's highest court may be appealed to the Supreme Court if there is a federal legal
question involved.
State Courts: also generally have trial courts, intermediate appellate courts, and an appellate
court of last resort. Each state uses its own terminology for naming its courts, In New York:
Supreme Court: unlike in the federal system, the New York trial courts are called the Supreme
Courts. There are also the Courts of Claims, the Family Courts, the Surrogates Courts, and outside
NYC, the County Courts. There are additional trial courts with limited jurisdictions.
Appellate Division: is the intermediate appellate court in New York. In New York, there are four
Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Court, one in each of the States four Judicial Departments.
Court of Appeals: is the highest court in New York State. The Court of Appeals articulates state-wide
principles of law, generally focusing on broad issues of law.
Case Law Reporters
Federal case law will be divided between three branches: U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Courts of Appeal (Circuit
Courts), and the U.S. District Courts.
Case law is published in official and unofficial case law reporters, in chronological order. Supreme Court opinions are
the only federal opinions published in official case reporters. West is the major publisher of unofficial case reporters.
Case citations are the easiest way to retrieve a case (it is possible to find cases by party name, but may not be as
exact). Case citations are structured by volume number, reporter abbreviation, and first page of the case.
U.S Supreme Court Cases: Supreme Court opinions are published in 3 different case law reporters: United States
Reports (the official reporter) - "U.S.", Supreme Court Reporter (West) - "S. Ct.", and Lawyers' Edition (Lexis) - "L.
Ed.". Sample citation for Brown v. Board of Ed. of Topeka: 347 U.S. 483, 74 S. Ct. 686, 98 L. Ed. 873.
Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal: Circuit Court opinions are published in unofficial reporters (West): Federal
Reporter - "F.", Federal Reporter Second Series - "F.2d" and Federal Reporter Third Series - "F.3d".
Federal District (Trial) Courts: The District Court opinions are published in unofficial case reporters (West): Federal
Supplement - "F. Supp." and Federal Supplement Second Series - "F. Supp.2d"
Earlier Federal Cases (dating before the Federal Reporter series) are available in Federal Case "F. Cas." bound
volumes

Regional Law Reporters
West publishes seven regional reporters (Atlantic, North Eastern, North Western, Pacific, Southern, South Eastern,
South Western). The National Reporter System covers the appellate courts of all the states and the District of
Columbia. A map in the front of each regional reporter volume shows which states are included. The Second and
Third Series of West's Regional Reporters are located in the Main Reading Room (MRR). The first series is available
in microform in the Golding Media Center. There are also specialized West reporters for New York and California.
All regional reporters are full-text searchable on Westlaw and Lexis.
The regional reporters, their abbreviations and the location and call numbers are:
Atlantic Reporter A., A.2d, A.3d Golding, MRR KF135.A7 A8
California Reporter Cal. Rptr., Cal. Rptr.2d, Cal. Rptr.3d Golieb NYUL KA-C2 61
New York Supplement N.Y.S., N.Y.S.2d B2S, MRR NYUL KA-N7 65
North Eastern Reporter N.E., N.E.2d Golding, MRR KF135.N6 N63
North Western Reporter N.W., N.W.2d Golding, MRR KF135.N7 N62
Pacific Reporter P., P.2d, P.3d Golding, MRR KF135.P2 P33-34x
South Eastern Reporter S.E., S.E.2d Golding, MRR KF135.S6 S612
South Western Reporter S.W., S.W.2d, S.W.3d Golding, MRR KF135.S7 S612-613x
Southern Reporter So., So.2d, So.3d Golding, MRR KF135.S8 S612

Title The Atlantic reporter [microform]
Publisher St. Paul : West Pub. Co., 1886-1938


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Details
Call # KF135.A7 A8
Phys. Description 200 v. ; 22-26 cm
Pub Date Vol. 1 (Oct. 14, 1885-Jan. 13, 1886)-v. 200 (July-Sept. 1938)
Series National reporter system. State series
Note "Cases argued and determined in the courts of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine,
Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont."
(varies)

Vols. 17-161 called "Permanent edition."

Very high reduction, 92x

"West's ultrafiche ed."--Header

Citations to all cases reported (1915-38) are compiled in: Shepard's Atlantic
reporter citations
Reproduction Microfiche. St. Paul, Minn. : West Pub. Co., [1975?]. microfiches ; 11 x 15 cm
Subject Law reports, digests, etc. -- Atlantic States

Microforms.

Court decisions and opinions
Alt Author West Publishing Company
Cont. By Atlantic reporter, second series 8750-2631






Title The Northwestern reporter [microform]
Publisher St. Paul, Minn. : West Pub. Co., 1879-1942


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Details
Call # KF135.N7 N6
Phys.
Description
300 v. ; 23-27 cm
Frequency Irregular
Pub Date Vol. 1 (Apr. 26, 1879-Aug. 30, 1879)-v. 300
Series National reporter system. State series
Note "Containing all the decisions of the Supreme Courts of Minnesota, Wisconsin,
Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, and Dakota." (varies)

Title varies slightly

Very high reduction, 92x

"West's microfiche ed."--Header

Citations to all cases compiled in: Shepard's northwestern reporter citations
Reproduction Microfich. St. Paul, Minn. : West Pub. Co., [1975?]. microfiches ; 11 x15 cm
Subject Law reports, digests, etc. -- Middle West

Microforms.

Court decisions and opinions
Alt Author West Publishing Company
Continues Minnesota reports 0196-5735
Cont. By North western reporter, second series 8750-2704






Title The Pacific reporter [microform]
Publisher St. Paul : West Pub. Co., 1884-1931


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Details
Call # KF135.P2 P32
Phys.
Description
300 v. ; 26 cm
Frequency Irregular
Pub Date Vol. 1 (Dec. 27, 1883-Jan. 31, 1884)-v. 300 (July 10-July 31, 1931)
Series National reporter system. State series
Note "Containing all the decisions of the Supreme Courts of California, Colorado,
Kansas, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Wyoming, Utah
and New Mexico." (varies)

Very high reduction, 92x

"West's ultrafiche ed."--Header
Reproduction Microfiche. St. Paul, Minn. : West Pub. Co., [1975?]/ 300 microfiches ; 11 x 15
cm
Subject Law reports, digests, etc. -- West (U.S.)

Microforms.

Court decisions and opinions
Alt Author West Publishing Company
Formed By West Court reporter
Cont. By Pacific reporter, second series 8750-2666


Title South eastern reporter. Second series [microform] : cases argued and determined in the courts of
Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia
Alt Title SE2d

S E 2d

Southeastern reporter 2d

South eastern reporter 2d

Southeastern reporter, second series

South eastern reporter. Second series

West's southeastern reporter. second series

West's Georgia cases reported in South eastern reporter, second series
Publisher St. Paul, Minn. : West Pub. Co., 1939-


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Identity Microfiche
CALL # KF135.S6 S612
Latest Received:


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Details
Call # KF135.S6 S612
Phys.
Description
v. ; 26 cm
Frequency 50 no. a year Sept. 6, 1984-

Weekly
Pub Date Vol. 1 S.E. 2d (Mar./Apr. 1939)-
Series National reporter system. State series

National reporter system. State series
Note "Cases argued and determined in the courts of Georgia, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia."

"West's ultrafiche ed."--Header

Description based on: Vol. 361 S.E. 2d

Citations to all cases compiled in: Shepard's Southeastern reporter citations

Georgia cases also published in: West's Georgia cases reported in South eastern
reporter, second series
Reproduction Microfiche. St. Paul, Minn. : West Pub. Co., [1982?- ]. microfiches ; 11 x 15 cm
Note TITLE HISTORY: South eastern reporter. Second series, v. 1-360; West's south
eastern reporter. Second series, v. 361 S.E. 2d-
Subject Law reports, digests, etc. -- Southern States

Law reports, digests, etc. -- Georgia

Law reports, digests, etc. -- North Carolina

Law reports, digests, etc. -- South Carolina

Law reports, digests, etc. -- Virginia

Law reports, digests, etc. -- West Virginia

Microforms

Court decisions and opinions
Alt Author West Publishing Company
Continues Southeastern reporter
Marc KF135.S6 S612

KF135.S6 S612
Cont. By West's south eastern reporter, second series 1042-6531
ISSN 0584-4215