What is the correct order of the federal court system from lowest to highest?

• A. District Courts, Circuit Courts of Appeals, U.S. Supreme Court
• B. U.S. Supreme Court, Circuit Courts of Appeals, District Courts
• C. Circuit Courts of Appeals, District Courts, U.S. Supreme Court
• D. District Courts, U.S. Supreme Court, Circuit Courts of Appeals

Answer: (A)

Federal court structure runs from trial to appellate to the highest court. District courts are where cases begin and evidence is presented. If a party believes a legal error occurred, the decision is reviewed by the circuit courts of appeals, which handle the major job of checking legal correctness on appeal. The U.S. Supreme Court sits at the top as the highest court, deciding important issues and selecting a limited number of cases for review. So the order from lowest to highest is district courts, circuit courts of appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Other sequences put the highest court before the appellate level or treat trial courts as above the Supreme Court, which doesn’t reflect how federal courts are organized.