Final answer:
The United States is divided into eleven regional judicial circuits in addition to the D.C. circuit for a total of thirteen U.S. courts of appeals. Each circuit court reviews cases from their respective district courts, and the Federal Circuit has national jurisdiction for specific case types. The U.S. also has ninety-four district courts serving as trial courts across the states and territories.
Step-by-step explanation:
The country is divided into eleven regional judicial circuits and the D.C. circuit, each of which has a U.S. Court of Appeals. There are thirteen U.S. courts of appeals in total, with the eleventh representing the regional circuits across the nation and two located in Washington, DC - the D.C. Circuit and the Federal Circuit Courts.
The regional circuits, including the D.C. Circuit, primarily handle cases from within their geographic area, whereas the Federal Circuit has nationwide jurisdiction over specific types of cases such as patent rights and international trade.
The circuit courts do not hold trials but rather review the decisions made by trial (district) courts. Each appellate court is overseen by a rotating panel of three judges, and there are currently 179 judges authorized by Congress across these courts. These courts serve as the intermediate appellate courts of the federal system, right below the U.S. Supreme Court, which may weigh in when different circuits yield conflicting rulings on similar legal issues.
Furthermore, the country also features ninety-four U.S. district courts which act as the trial courts of the national system, with at least one district court in each state and additional courts in U.S. territories. No district court crosses state lines, and they are presided over by a single judge, often with the assistance of a jury.