The Judicial branch was established by Article III of the constitution. The function of the judicial branch is to interpret laws, apply them to court cases, and determine if they defy the constitution.

The Supreme Court was established by Article III Sect. 1 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court is the highest federal court in the nation.

Judicial review and overrule are two of the most important powers of the federal court. Judicial review was established as a result of the Marbury v. Madison Case. It is defined as the power to declare a law unconstitutional. The Supreme court overruled itself, initially stating “separate but equal” in the Brown v. Board of Education. Then stating segregation in schools is unconstitutional in the Plessy v. Ferguson case

Checks and balances is a policy in which a branch of the government has influences on the activities the other branches partake in. Checks and balances was established to help ensure that one branch did not gain more power over the others.

Members of the judicial branch are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Judges and justices do not serve for a fixed time. They typically serve until retirement, death, or removed by Congress.

The Courts of Appeals decides appeals from district courts within its judicial circuit. The Courts of Appeals are considered very powerful because they are often the deciding factor in many federal court cases. Currently there are 179 judges in the Courts of Appeals.

The district courts are the trial courts of the court system. There are 94 judicial districts with at least one in each state.