Study Guide: Judicial Branch

Chapter 8 & Chapter 13.3 1. What do courts do? What branch do courts belong to? 2. What is a civil dispute? 3. What is the goal of the legal system? Does the legal system always accomplish its goal? Why or why not? 4. What courts did the Judiciary Act of 1789 establish? 5. List the jurisdictions of the federal courts. 6. Give three examples of federal laws. 7. What is the purpose of federal district court? 8. Which court is the only one that has witness’s testimony, juries, and verdicts? 9. What are the other names for the U.S. Courts of Appeals? 10. Why do some lawyers of individuals ask for an appeal? 11. What is a circuit? 12. What are the three possible decisions a federal Court of Appeals can make? How many judges make the decisions? 13. Why are opinions and precedents important? 14. What is a litigant? 15. How are federal judges chosen? Who approves the candidates? 16. How long do federal judges serve on the courts? Why were they given such job security? 17. What are the responsibilities of a magistrate judge? 18. What are the responsibilities of a U.S. attorney? How long do they serve? How do you become an U.S. attorney? 19. What are the responsibilities of a U.S. Marshal? 20. What is the Supreme Courts main job? 21. What are the two instances where the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction? 22. Who was the first African American justice? Female? 23. What is the Supreme Courts most important power? Where did this power come from? What constitutional principle is this power? 24. How can the executive and legislative branches get around Supreme Court rulings? 25. How does a case make it onto the Supreme Court’s docket? 26. What types of cases do the Supreme Court justices tend to select? 27. What is a writ of certiorari? 28. List the steps in the correct order of the Supreme Courts decision madding. 29. How many justices must be present for a decision? How many to make a decision? 30. Why are written opinions of the Supreme Court important? 31. What influences the decisions of the Supreme Court justices? 32. What court case established the “separate, but equal clause”? What amendment and clause was used to help reach this decision? 33. What does “separate, but equal” mean? 34. What court case overturned the “separate, but equal” doctrine? 35. How is it that one Supreme Court made a decision and a later group of justices overturned the earlier decision? 36. What are the 2 kinds of trial courts? What happens at trial courts? 37. What is the difference between a district attorney and a district public defender? 38. What are the 2 NC appeals courts? 39. What does the NC Supreme Court do? What types of cases does it hear? 40. Describe the State v. Mann case? What decision was reached by the court? 41. Describe the Leandro v NC case? What decision was reached by the court? How did this decision affect Robeson County?