The federal courts system is divided into 94 separate judicial districts. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico each have at least one federal judicial district.

These 94 judicial districts are organized into 12 separate regional circuits. Each circuit has one federal court of appeals.

The highest court in the U.S. federal court system is the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court, at its discretion and within certain guidelines, hears a limited amount of cases during each of its terms.

Courts of Special Jurisdiction

Federal courts of special jurisdiction include:

• bankruptcy courts;
• the U.S. Court of International Trade;
• the U.S. Court of Federal Claims; and
• the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

To learn more, see About Federal Courts.

Obtaining Court Records

In general, court records are made public through the office of the court clerk.

For help understanding how to access federal court records, see the library's Court Records guide.

Options include:

• PACER for case and docket information; and
• checking the court's website for published opinions.