Judicial Circuits-United States Courts of Appeals Continued Circuit Judges Official Station Des Moines, IA Districts of northern California, central California, Districts of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Kansas, eastern Oklahoma, western Oklahoma, northern Mexico. (Clerk: Robert L. Hoecker; Circuit Executive: (Vacancy)) 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 Executive: Norman E. Zoller; Atlanta, GA) George G. Fagg Pasco M. Bowman II Roger L. Wollman Frank J. Magill Ninth Circuit Circuit Justice Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Circuit Judges James R. Browning, Chief Judge Alfred T. Goodwin J. Clifford Wallace Harry Pregerson David R. Thompson John T. Noonan, Jr. Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain Edward Leavy (1 vacancy) Tenth Circuit Circuit Justice Justice Byron R. White Circuit Judges William J. Holloway, Jr., Chief Judge James E. Barrett Monroe G. McKay James K. Logan Stephanie K. Seymour Stephen H. Anderson Eleventh Circuit Circuit Justice Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Circuit Judges Paul H. Roney, Chief Judge John C. Godbold Gerald B. Tjoflat James C. Hill Robert S. Vance Phyllis A. Kravitch Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Joseph Woodrow Hatchett San Francisco, CA Reno, NV Phoenix, AZ Phoenix, AZ Seattle, WA Seattle, WA Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA San Francisco, CA Oklahoma City, OK Tulsa, OK St. Petersburg, FL Tallahassee, FL Judicial Circuits-United States Courts of Appeals-Continued 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 (96 Stat. 25; 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 United States district and territorial courts in patent, trademark, and copyright cases (28 U.S.C. 1338); appeals from the United States 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 United States Claims Court; and appeals from final decisions of the United States 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 United States court of appeals sits (28 U.S.C. 48). Like the other courts of appeals, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has a clerk, staff attorneys, technical assistants, librarian, and supporting staff. 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 United States 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 age, has been in office for at least 1 year, and has not previously been chief judge serves as chief judge for a 7-year term. There are altogether 541 permanent district judgeships in the 50 States and 15 in the District of Columbia. There are 7 district judgeships in Puerto Rico. United States district judges hold their offices during good behavior as provided by Article III, section 1, of the Constitution. However, Congress may create temporary judgeships for a court with the provision that when a vacancy occurs in that district, such vacancy shall not be filled. Each district court has a clerk, a United States attorney, a United States marshal, one or more United States magistrates, bankruptcy judges, probation officers, court reporters, and their staffs. The jurisdiction of the district courts is set forth in title 28, chapter 85, of the United States Code. Cases from the district courts are reviewable on appeal by the applicable United States court of appeals, except that injunctive orders of special threejudge district courts and certain decisions holding acts of Congress unconstitutional may be appealed directly to the Supreme Court (28 U.S.C. 1252). Appeals in certain kinds of actions must be taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (28 U.S.C. 1295). Territorial Courts Pursuant to its authority to govern the Territories (art. IV, sec. 3, clause 2, of the Constitution), Congress has established district courts in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and in the territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands. The District Court of the Canal Zone was abolished on April 1, 1982, pursuant to the Panama Canal Act of 1979 (93 Stat. 452; 22 U.S.C. 3601 note). Congress has also established a district court in the Northern Mariana Islands, which presently are administered by the United States under a trusteeship agreement with the United Nations. Except in Puerto Rico, these Territorial courts have jurisdiction not only of the subjects described in the judicial article of the Constitution but also of many local matters that, within the States, are decided in State courts. The district court of Puerto Rico, however, is classified like other "district courts" and is called a "court of the United States," (28 U.S.C. 451). It has the same jurisdiction as the 90 district courts in the States and the District of Columbia. There are seven judges in Puerto Rico, one each in the Canal Zone, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and two in the Virgin Islands. The judges in these courts are appointed for terms of 10 years, except in Puerto Rico, where the judges hold their offices during good behavior. For further information concerning the lower courts, contact the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, Washington, DC 20544. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation The Panel, created by act of April 29, 1968 (82 Stat. 109; 28 U.S.C. 1407), and consisting of seven Federal judges, is authorized to temporarily transfer to a single district, for coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings, civil actions pending in different districts that involve one or more common questions of fact. For further information, contact the Clerk, Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, Suite 1002, 1120 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20005. Phone, 202-653-6090. Special Courts The Supreme Court has held that "... Article III [of the Constitution] does not express the full authority of Congress to create courts, and that other Articles invest Congress with powers in the exertion of which it may create inferior courts and clothe them with functions deemed essential or helpful in carrying those powers into execution." Such courts, known as legislative courts, have functions which ". . . are directed to the execution of one or more of such powers and are prescribed by Congress independently of section 2 of Article III; and their judges hold for such term as Congress prescribes, whether it be a fixed period of years or during good behavior." Appeals from the decisions of these courts may be taken to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. United States Claims Court This court was established on October 1, 1982 (96 Stat. 27; 28 U.S.C. 171), and succeeds to all the original jurisdiction formerly exercised by the Court of Claims, as now provided for in 28 U.S.C. 1491 et seq. The court has jurisdiction to render money judgments upon any claim against the United States founded either upon the Constitution, or any act of Congress or any regulation of an executive department, or upon any express or implied in fact contract with the United States or for liquidated or unliquidated damages in cases not sounding in tort. As collateral to any such judgment, the court may issue orders directing the restoration to office or status and the correction of applicable records. Examples of these, among others, are claims for just compensation for the taking of property, claims arising under construction and supply contracts, claims by both civilian and military personnel for back pay and retirement pay, and claims for the refund of Federal income and excise taxes. As part of its jurisdiction over contract claims, the court has the authority, if the claim is filed before a contract is awarded, to grant declaratory judgments and such equitable relief including but not limited to injunctive relief. In addition to its authority to entertain money judgment claims under the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 (41 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), it also has jurisdiction to render judgment upon any claim by or against, or dispute with, a contractor arising under that act. The court also has jurisdiction over other specific types of claims against the United States, among which is jurisdiction to render judgment for reasonable and entire compensation in cases where the United States in its governmental capacity had manufactured or used an invention covered by a patent or had infringed any work protected by copyright without license of its owner. The court also entertains jurisdiction under special legislation enacted from time to time by the Congress. Judgments of the court are final and conclusive on both the claimant and the United States subject to an appeal as of right to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Authority also rests with the court to furnish reports on any bill that may be referred by either House of Congress. Jurisdiction of the court is nationwide, and jurisdiction over the parties is obtained when suit is filed and process is served on the United States through the Attorney General. The court exercises its powers by appropriate process, including the power of subpoena served anywhere within the territory over which the Federal Government exercises domain. Trials for the purpose of taking testimony and receiving exhibits are conducted before the judges of the court, and are conducted at locations most convenient for the claimants and their witnesses. The court is composed of 16 judges appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for 15 years, one of whom is designated as the chief judge by the President. For further information, contact the Clerk, United States Claims Court, 717 Madison Place NW., Washington, DC 20005. Phone, 202-633-7257. United States Court of International Trade This court was originally established as the Board of United States General Appraisers by act of June 10, 1890, which conferred upon it jurisdiction theretofore held by the U.S. district and circuit courts in actions arising under the tariff acts (26 Stat. 136; 19 U.S.C. ch. 4). The act of May 28, 1926 (44 Stat. 669; 19 U.S.C. 405a), created the United States Customs Court to supersede the Board; by acts of August 7, 1939 and June 25, 1948 (53 Stat. 1223, 62 Stat. 943; 28 U.S.C. 1582, 1583), the court was integrated into the United States court structure, organization, and procedure. The act of July 14, 1956 (70 Stat. 532; 28 U.S.C. 251), established the court as a court of record of the United States under Article III of the Constitution. The Customs Court Act of 1980 (94 Stat. 1727; 28 U.S.C. 251) constituted the court as the United States Court of International Trade and revised provisions relating to its jurisdiction. The |