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The Judicial Conference of the United States

Creation of Judicial Conference

In 1922, the United States Congress created a body called the Conference of Senior Circuit Judges to administer the federal judiciary. In 1948, Congress passed additional legislation...

Special Federal Courts

The federal court system is made up of federal district courts (trial level courts), courts of appeals (appellate level courts), and the Supreme Court of the United States. In addition, the federal court system has special courts that hear...

Discretionary Review of a State Court Decision

State Courts of Appeals

Generally, a litigant can file an appeal of a state trial court's final decision as a matter of right. The party filing the appeal usually is called the appellant; the other party is called the...

Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure

Definition of Bankruptcy

Persons or companies that are unable to pay debts may declare bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is a a legal process in which the financial affairs of the debtor (a person or a company) are placed in the...

Amicus Curiae

Amicus curiae is a Latin term meaning "friend of the court." An amicus curiae is not a party to the lawsuit but is a person or group that has a strong interest in the matter being litigated. The function of an amicus curiae is to bring to the...