America's Federal Court System

I.) Judges v. Legislators

A.) Legislator:

1. Elections:

2. Law Making:

B.) Judge

1. Life Terms:

2. Cases:

II.) Federal Court Structure:

A.) The Constitution and the National Judiciary

1.) Creation:

2.) Article III-

3.) Intent-

4.) Judicial Review-

B.) American Legal System and the Dual Court System

1.)

C.) Federal District Courts

1. General Notes:

2. Jurisdiction:

3. Criminal Cases:

4. Civil Cases:

D.) Courts of Appeals (?circuit courts?)

1. Background

2. Regional Jurisdiction

3. Appealing a case

II.) The People, THE COURT , and Decisions

A.) Who are the Federal Judges

B.) The Nomination Process

C.) Federal Selection Process

D.) Supreme Court ?The court of last resort?

1. Jurisdiction

a.) ?Writ?

i. appellate

ii. state

iii. original jurisdiction

2.) How Supreme Court Justices Vote

a.) 9 Justices; 1 chief justice and 8 assoc. justices

b.) Rule of 4

c.) Legal Factors

1.) Judicial Philosophy

a.) Judicial Activism

b.) Judicial Restraint

2.) Precedent

3.) Others: How Judges Decide: Extra-Legal Factors

4.) How decisions are made (fill-in flow chart)

E.) Brief History

1.) Initial Beginnings:

2.) Marshall

a. Marbury v. Madison- judicial review

3.) Taney-

4.) weak justices-

5.) Warren-

a. ?rights of the accused?

6.) Burger-

7.) Rehnquist-

F.) The Court Today and the Future

1.)

2.)

3.)