Supreme Court of considering all appeals in cases originally decided by the Federal trial courts. They are empowered to review all final decisions and certain interlocutory decisions (18 U.S.C. 3731,3734; 28 U.S.C. 1291, 1292) of district courts, except in those very few situations where the law provides for a direct review by the Supreme Court (see below). They also are empowered to review and enforce orders of many Federal administrative bodies, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission and the National Labor Relations Board (see list in revision notes to 28 U.S.C. 1291). The decisions of the courts of appeals are final except as they are subject to discretionary review or appeal in the Supreme Court. The United States is divided geographically into 12 judicial circuits, including the District of Columbia. Each circuit has a court of appeals (28 U.S.C. 41, 1294). Each of the 50 States is assigned to one of the circuits, and the Territories are assigned variously to the first, third, and ninth circuits. There is also a Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which has nationwide jurisdiction defined by subject matter. At present each court of appeals has from 6 to 28 permanent circuit judgeships (168 in all), depending upon the amount of judicial work in the circuit. Circuit judges hold their offices during good behavior as provided by Article III, section 1, of the Constitution. The judge senior in commission who is under 65 years of age, has been in office at least 1 year, and has not previously been chief judge serves as the chief judge of the circuit for a 7-year term. One of the justices of the Supreme Court is assigned as circuit justice for each of the 13 judicial circuits. Each court of appeals normally hears cases in panels consisting of three judges but may sit en banc with all judges present. The circuit judges of each circuit by majority vote determine the composition of the judicial council for the circuit, which must include both circuit and district judges. The council meets at least twice a year to consider the state of Federal judicial business in the circuit and to "make all necessary and appropriate orders for [its] effective and expeditious administration . . ." (28 U.S.C. 332). In 1971 the Congress provided for appointment of a Circuit Executive for each circuit by the circuit council. The function of the Circuit Executive is to exercise, among other duties, administrative control of nonjudicial activities of the court of appeals of the circuit (28 U.S.C. 332). The chief judge of each circuit summons annually a judicial conference of all circuit and district judges in the circuit, and sometimes members of the bar, to discuss the business of the Federal courts of the circuit (28 U.S.C. 333). The chief judge of each circuit and a district judge from each of the 12 geographical circuits, elected by the circuit and district judges of the circuit at their annual judicial conference for a term of 3 years, serve as members of the Judicial Conference of the United States, of which the Chief Justice of the United States is chairman. This is the governing body for the administration of the Federal judicial system as a whole (28 U.S.C. 331). Districts of northern California, central California, of Guam, and District (Clerk: Cathy Catterson Hansen; Circuit Executive: Gregory B. Walters; San Francisco, CA) Districts of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Kansas, eastern Oklahoma, western Oklahoma, northern (Clerk: Robert L. Hoecker; Circuit Executive: Districts of northern Georgia, middle Georgia, southern Georgia, northern Florida, middle Florida, southern Florida, northern Alabama, middle Alabama, southern Alabama (Clerk: Miguel J. Cortez, Jr.; Circuit Justice Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Circuit Judges Alfred T. Goodwin, Chief Judge J. Clifford Wallace Harry Pregerson John T. Noonan, Jr. Ferdinand F. Fernandez Tenth Circuit Circuit Justice Justice Byron R. White Circuit Judges William J. Holloway, Jr., Chief Judge Monroe G. McKay James K. Logan Stephanie K. Seymour John P. Moore Stephen H. Anderson Deanell Reece Tacha Bobby R. Baldock Wade Brorby David M. Ebel Eleventh Circuit Circuit Justice Justice Anthony M. Kennedy Circuit Judges Paul H. Roney, Chief Judge Gerald B. Tjoflat James C. Hill Peter T. Fay United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit This court was established under Article III of the Constitution pursuant to the Federal Courts Improvement Act of 1982 (28 U.S.C. 41) as the successor to the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals and the Court of Claims. The jurisdiction of the court is nationwide and includes appeals from the district and territorial courts in patent, trademark, and copyright cases (28 U.S.C. 1338); appeals from the district and territorial courts in contract, internal revenue, and other cases in which the United States is a defendant; appeals from final decisions of the U.S. Claims Court; and appeals from final decisions of the U.S. Court of International Trade. The jurisdiction of the court also includes the review of administrative rulings by the Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. International Trade Commission, Secretary of Commerce, agency boards of contract appeals, and the Merit Systems Protection Board. The court consists of 12 circuit judges of whom the judge senior in commission, who is under 65 years of age, has been in office for at least 1 year, and has not previously been chief judge, shall serve as chief judge for a 7-year term. The court sits in panels of three or more on each case and may also hear or rehear a case en banc. The court sits principally in Washington, DC, and may hold court wherever a court of appeals sits (28 U.S.C. 48). Like the other courts of appeals, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has a clerk, staff attorneys, technical assistants, librarian, and supporting staff. Federal Circuit—United States Court of Appeals Official Station: Washington, DC Circuit Justice Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist Chief Judge Howard T. Markey Judges Daniel M. Friedman Giles S. Rich Glenn L. Archer, Jr. Edward S. Smith Helen W. Nies Haldane Robert Mayer (2 vacancies) Clerk: Francis X. Gindhart For further information, contact the Clerk, United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 717 Madison Place NW., Washington, DC 20439. Phone, 202-633-6550. United States District Courts The district courts are the trial courts of general Federal jurisdiction. Each State has at least one district court, while some of the larger States have as many as four. Altogether there are 89 district courts in the 50 States, plus the one in the District of Columbia. In addition, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has a district court with jurisdiction corresponding to that of district courts in the various States. At present, each district court has from 2 to 27 Federal district judgeships, depending upon the amount of judicial work within its territory. Only one judge is usually required to hear and decide a case in a district court, but in some limited cases it is required that three judges be called together to comprise the court (28 U.S.C. 2284). The judge senior in commission who is under 65 years of |