This Nation
This Nation: The Judiciary Continued in Relation to Trial by Jury
Federalist No. 83, written by Alexander Hamilton, discusses the jurisdiction of the federal courts, in particular to civil cases and juries.
US National Archives
Our Documents: The Federal Judiciary Act
An online resource on the Federal Judiciary Act that provides an explanation of the Act, an image of the document itself, and the text.
Other
The Supreme Court Historical Society
Beautiful site that illustrates the history and heritage of the Supreme Court. In addition, site provides information on how the Court works, the Justices, and its opinions.
Other
Certiorari Practice: The Supreme Court's Shrinking Docket
Recent legislation has allowed the Supreme Court discretionary, rather than obligatory powers, in deciding which cases to decide. This in-depth and well-developed essay describes the process and criticizes the new system, while providing...
PBS
Pbs: How the Supreme Court Affects the Lives of Teens (Lesson Plan)
Objectives for this lesson include describing the structure and function of the Supreme Court, looking at important decisions, and discussing recent rulings and issues.
US Government Publishing Office
Ben's Guide to u.s. Government: Ben's Ab Cs
Each letter of this alphabet is linked to an important aspect of the U.S. Government, e.g. "A is for Armed Forces" has a link to the Air Force. Links are made to the Bill of Rights, symbols, branches of government and The Constitution....
US National Archives
National Archives: u.s. V. Amistad: A Case of Jurisdiction
Students will review the Amistad case and use passages from the case explore the concept of jurisdiction and how a case travels through the federal court system. Also, included are links to the background of the Amistad case, a...
CPALMS
Florida State University Cpalms: Florida Students: Journey Through Justice: Our Federal Courts
In this tutorial, students learn about the various levels in the federal judicial system and look at a famous Supreme Court case, Tinker v. Des Moines.
Other
Federal Judicial Center: Inside the Federal Courts
A fantastic overview of the federal court system of the United States can be found here. Read about what the federal courts do, the difference between federal and state courts, the types of cases handled by federal courts, the structure...
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: Jurisdiction of Federal Courts
This site describes the jurisdiction of the Federal Court system. The site breaks the court's jurisdiction into three main areas of institutional conflict: Federal Restraint of State Courts by Injunctions, Habeas Corpus: Scope of the...
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: Supreme Court Filing Guide
This site contains pertinent information needed when filing a case with the Supreme Court without legal representation. This page provides links to information about the filing time, what forms to file, page limitations, and others.
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: History of the Supreme Court
This site gives insight into both the creation of the U.S. Supreme Court as well as its transformation to its present state. Throughout the text links can be found which lead to various Supreme Court topics and information.
Other
The Federal Judiciary Homepage
An overview of the Federal Court System, with an historical overview and a general description of the current system.
Lectric Law Library
Lectric Law Library: Understanding the Federal Courts
This document provides an overview of the organization, operation, and administration of the entire federal court system. The article gives information on the federal judicial branch, the state and federal courts, the structure of the...
Digital History
Digital History: Challenges Facing the Nation
The new United States had no blueprint to follow in establishing a new democratic government. Read about the challenges facing the new nation, and how it dealt with ways to make the government work.
Wikimedia
Wikipedia: Federal Judiciary of the United States
This Wikipedia entry on the Federal government of the United States gives detailed information on each aspect of the judiciary branch.
Other
New Talk: What Is the Role of the Courts in Making Social Policy?
New Talk provides an online forum where non partisan experts in their field can discuss relevant domestic issues of today. This discussion focuses on the role of courts in setting social policy and how judges should be selected.
Other
Unt: Deciding to Decide, the Law and Politics Book Review
This informative review of "Deciding to Decide: Agenda Setting in the United States Supreme Court" by H.W. Perry, Jr. describes the process of Supreme Court case selection.
Other
Supreme Court of the United States: Opinions
This site from the Supreme Court of the United States contains links to opinion documents from the Supreme Court.
Other
Understanding the Federal Courts
A ten part publication which describes the federal court system, its structure and organization, what types of cases they hear and much more. You can also download a PDF version of the document.
Other
Us District Courts
This is a comprehensive government site that links you to all of the district courts in the United States. It is easy to navigate and find necessary information. The large map helps you locate the district of your choice.
Other
Federal Judicial Center
Travel throughout the Federal Judicial Center at this site. "The Federal Judicial Center is the education and research agency for the federal courts." This is a comprehensive site that outlines the publications, federal judicial history...
Cato Institute
Buying Justice: Plaintiffs' Lawyers Reap Huge Dividends
This writer discusses the buying of justices' impartiality by trial lawyers and calls for tort reform.
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: Supreme Court Decisions
This site serves as an index to Supreme Court cases that have been decided during the current court term. The links to each case provide the information pertaining to that individual case.