List and define the three-tiered structure of the federal court system

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

As a result of constitutional mandates, congressional actions, and other historical developments, today's federal judiciary consists of three levels:
1) U.S. district courts: The trial courts of the federal court system.
2) U.S. courts of appeals: A court of appeals hears appeals from the district courts located within its circuit, as well as appeals from decisions of federal administrative agencies. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has nationwide jurisdiction to hear appeals in special cases, such as those involving patent laws and cases decided by the Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
3) The U.S. Supreme Courtreviews the decisions of lower courts and may accept cases both from U.S. courts of appeals and from state supreme courts. It has limited original jurisdiction and does not conduct trials except in disputes between states and in some cases of attorney disbarment. For a case to be heard, at least four justices must vote in favor of a hearing. When the Court agrees to hear a case, it will issue a writ of certiorari to a lower court, ordering it to send the records of the case forward for review.