| Cases and Resources
Chapter 5: The Court System
Trial Courts
Appeals Courts
Federal and State Court
Systems
Tribal Courts
The U.S. Supreme Court
International Courts
Trial Courts
Court
TV
To understand more about trial courts, read about famous cases
from recent history with which you may already be familiar.
Who is the defendant in these trials, and what is the plaintiff
or prosecutor trying to prove?
The
Adversary Legal System
This article describes the purpose, benefits, and criticisms
of our adversary system. Do you believe the adversary system
is the best legal system for the United States?
The
Federal Prosecutor
This description of the federal prosecutor is written for
young people. Read about the steps in a federal prosecutor's
job and access a glossary of legal terms.
European
Legal System
Read about the legal system in Europe. How are trial courts
different in the European community than here in the United
States?
Non-U.S.
National Law Material
Learn more about the national laws of a foreign country and
compare them to the laws of this country. How are they similar?
What differences do you see?
World
History of the Legal System
Learn how the concept of a legal system developed through
the ages and what events impacted the creation of the American
legal system.
Fully
Informed Jury Association
If you are summoned for jury duty in the future, it is important
that you know your rights and responsibilities as a juror.
The guidelines and discussions on this site are helpful in
understanding the role of a juror.
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Appeals Courts
Court
of Appeals
Read this short description of the appeals courts in the judicial system.
Utah
State Court of Appeals
Explore the state appeals court system by learning about the
Court of Appeals in Utah. Read a decision by the Court of
Appeals. Do you agree with the judge's conclusion?
Plessy
v. Ferguson
Browse the full text of the Supreme Court’s opinion
in Plessy v. Ferguson. A shorter
description of the case is also available.
Brown
v. Board of Education
Read the full text of the Supreme Court’s opinion in
Brown v. Board of Education. A shorter
description of the case is also available.
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Federal
and State Court Systems
Federal
Court System
Learn about the courts, judges, and jurors in the federal
court system. Explore a brief description and access a list
of commonly asked questions about the judicial process.
State
Court Systems
State courts are separate from the federal court system. Find
information about your state court by clicking on the name
of your state.
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Tribal
Courts
Native
American Law
Learn about Native American law and how tribal courts are
part of our judicial system. Why do tribes have sovereign
status? Why are tribes allowed to operate casinos?
Central
Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
Explore a site created by Native American tribes of Alaska.
What type of authority do the tribes have? How can these tribes
help their own members with the tribal courts?
Native
American Criminal Justice Resources
This site links the user to information regarding different
Native American groups and criminal justice resources. Read
through information about tribes in your region of the country
and compare criminal justice activities in different regions.
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The U.S.
Supreme Court
Legal
Information Institute Supreme Court Center
The Legal Information Institute's Supreme Court site provides
current news stories and a history of the Supreme Court, including
an explanation of how the Court chooses the cases and makes
decisions. Test your knowledge of the Supreme Court using
a quiz on the site. Listen to the most significant oral arguments
heard before the Supreme Court, and keep up with the cases
currently on the Supreme Court's docket. Review the calendar
schedule for the current term.
Article
III of the Constitution
The organization and function of the Supreme Court was established
in Article III of the Constitution. Read the article text
and explore the annotations.
Virtual
Tour of the Supreme Court
Take a virtual tour of the Supreme Court building.
Supreme
Court Justices
Take the time to learn the names of the justices. Which justices
tend to agree with each other in most decisions? When a new
justice must be appointed to replace one of the existing justices,
what qualifications and characteristics should the new justice
have?
Alliance
for Justice
This organization focuses on judicial selection. When a judge
is chosen to preside over a federal court, many groups advocate
for independent and non-partisan judges. Check out the special
section for students and learn about nominations to federal
courts.
People
for the American Way
Compare this site with the views you found on the Alliance
for Justice site. What position does PFAW take on judicial
nominations and confirmations?
The
Committee for Justice
This organization has a more conservative position on judicial
nominations and an independent judiciary. How does this organization
want judicial nominations in this country to change?
Gideon
v. Wainwright
Learn about Clarence Gideon’s road to the Supreme Court
and view his original petition. Read the full
text of the Supreme Court’s opinion. You
can also read a shorter
description of this case or listen to the oral
arguments.
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International
Courts
International
Court of Justice
Explore this site about the International Court of Justice.
What types of cases are being decided, and what decisions
have been already been handed down?
International
Criminal Court
Explore information about the International Criminal Court.
Why was this court organized? What types of cases does it
handle?
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