Menu for An Introduction to the Judicial System

Average reading time: 30-60 minutes. You can use the menu below to go directly to specific topics that interest you.

1. WHAT IS JUSTICE?
2. WHAT ARE THE ROLES OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM?
   1. Special Topic: Alternatives to Courts
3. HOW IS THE SYSTEM ORGANIZED?
   1. State Courts: Where Most Cases Begin
   2. Federal Courts: National Questions and Constitutional Issues
   3. Specialized Courts: Focused Expertise
      1. Special Topic: Can District Courts Block Federal Policies?
4. THE COURTS IN RELATION TO THE OTHER BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT
   1. Reviewing the Other Branches
   2. Protecting the Judiciary’s Independence
   3. Setting Limits on Government Officials
   4. Congress and the Courts
      1. Special Topic: Judicial Activism vs. Restraint.
   5. Standing: Who Can Sue?
   6. Jurisdiction: Which Court Can Hear a Case?
   7. The Supreme Court’s Selective Role in Deciding Which Cases to Hear
5. TOWARDS UNIFORM JUSTICE
6. HOW COURTS CAN SHAPE FREE & FAIR ELECTIONS
   1. Who May Vote
   2. How Voting Districts Are Drawn
   3. Money in Politics
   4. Federal Oversight
7. HOW COURTS CAN PROTECT OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES AND RIGHTS
   1. A Dual System of Safeguards
   2. Why Independence Matters
   3. Core Civil Liberties and Rights
   4. Procedural Protections: Fairness in Practice
   5. Beyond the Basics
8. HOW IS THE U.S. JUDICIAL SYSTEM DIFFERENT FROM OTHER DEMOCRACIES?
   1. Adversarial versus Inquisitorial System
   2. Federal Nature
   3. Unique American Features
      1. Special Topic: For and Against Elected State and Local Judges.
9. IMPERFECTIONS IN THE AMERICAN JUDICIAL SYSTEM
   1. Administrative Imperfections: Uneven Access
   2. Judicial Transparency
   3. Enforcement Imperfections: Courts Don’t Have Armies
   4. Partisanship Imperfections: Politics and Power
      1. Special Topic: The Nomination of Federal Judges.
10. WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM?
    1. Direct Influence: Voting for Judges
    2. Direct Influence: Serving on Grand Juries and Trial Juries
    3. Indirect Influence: Choosing Presidents and Senators
    4. Indirect Influence: Ensuring Compliance
11. SOURCES
    1. Primary Sources
    2. Textbooks
    3. Other Sources