Research Guides: *U.S. Government: Judicial

About the Judicial Branch

Under Article 3 of the U.S. Constitution, the Judicial Branch consists of the U.S. Supreme Court and federal appeals and district courts which Congress may establish. These courts may hear and decide cases affecting individuals, organizations, and governments in areas of civil and criminal law.

Key Resources

Federal Courts
Search federal courts by location, access court records, and more.
The Judicial Branch
Information about the judicial branch of government from whitehouse.gov.
U.S. Supreme Court
Text of recent U.S. Supreme Court opinions and orders.

Additional Resources

Biographies of Federal Judges (1789-present)
The directory includes the biographies of judges presidentially appointed to serve during good behavior since 1789 on the U.S. district courts, U.S. courts of appeals, Supreme Court of the United States, and U.S. Court of International Trade, as well as the former U.S. circuit courts, Court of Claims, U.S. Customs Court, and U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals. Also included are judges who received presidential recess appointments to the above named courts but were not confirmed by the Senate to serve during good behavior.
Court Statistics Project (Non-governmental)
Collects and publishes caseload data from all 50 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and Guam.
Federal Judicial Center
The Federal Judicial Center (FJC) is the research and education agency of the judicial branch of the United States Government.
National Center for State Courts (NCSC)
Provides information about state courts and their operations.