United States district court

District courts are the general-jurisdiction trial courts of the federal judiciary. The federal system contains 94 judicial districts, including districts in every state, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories.¹ Each district has a court, a clerk's office, and one or more courthouses; large districts may hold proceedings in several locations. Most district judges are appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate and serve during good behavior under Article III of the Constitution.²

District courts differ from United States courts of appeals, which generally review legal rulings rather than conduct trials. They also differ from specialized tribunals such as bankruptcy courts and the United States Court of Federal Claims, whose jurisdiction is narrower.

Federal jurisdiction determines which disputes a United States district court may decide. Federal-question jurisdiction covers cases arising under the Constitution, federal statutes, or treaties, while diversity jurisdiction can cover disputes between citizens of different states when the statutory amount-in-controversy requirement is met.³ Congress has also assigned district courts jurisdiction over admiralty, bankruptcy-related matters, civil-rights claims, federal crimes, and numerous specialized statutory actions.

A case may begin in federal court through a complaint, an indictment, or another authorized filing. Some cases filed in state court can be removed to a district court when federal jurisdiction exists. Courts may dismiss claims, transfer cases, or remand improperly removed cases before trial. Subject-matter jurisdiction cannot ordinarily be created by agreement of the parties.

District-court proceedings are managed by district judges, assisted in many matters by United States magistrate judges. District judges handle trials, dispositive motions, sentencing, and final judgments; magistrate judges may conduct pretrial proceedings, issue certain orders, and, with the parties' consent, preside over civil trials.¹ Criminal cases generally involve a grand jury for indictment and a petit jury for trial, unless the defendant waives a jury or the law provides otherwise.

The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and evidence rules organize pleadings, discovery, hearings, trials, and appeals.⁴ A final judgment normally may be appealed as of right to the appropriate circuit court, while interlocutory appeals are available only in specified circumstances.

District courts perform substantial work without a conventional trial. Most civil cases end through settlement, dismissal, or summary judgment, and many criminal cases conclude with guilty pleas rather than jury verdicts. Courts also issue warrants, supervise pretrial release, appoint counsel for eligible defendants, and oversee consent decrees and other continuing remedies.

The district courts in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands are commonly included in the federal district-court structure, but their judgeships and constitutional foundations are not identical to those of Article III district courts.¹ Another less visible feature is the role of multidistrict litigation: the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation may transfer related cases to one district for coordinated pretrial proceedings, even when the underlying actions were filed in different federal districts.⁵

Federal-question jurisdiction

Authority to hear a civil case arising under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States.

Diversity jurisdiction

Federal jurisdiction over qualifying disputes between citizens of different states or between citizens and foreign parties.

Removal

The transfer of an eligible case from a state court to a federal district court.

Magistrate judge

A federal judicial officer who handles designated pretrial, procedural, and, with consent, trial matters.

Multidistrict litigation

A procedure for coordinating related federal civil actions for consolidated pretrial proceedings.