Establishment and Structure of United States District Courts - District courts established by Congress under Article III of the Constitution - No constitutional requirement for district courts to exist - Opponents argued for a limited federal judiciary with only the Supreme Court - Edward Carrington and Alexander Hamilton discussed this viewpoint - First Congress created the district court system - 89 districts in the 50 states, including territories - At least one judicial district for each state, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico - States have one to four districts - States with two districts named geographically (Northern-Southern or Western-Eastern) - Most states with three districts add a Middle District, except Illinois and Oklahoma

Other Federal Trial Courts - United States Court of International Trade handles international trade and customs cases - United States Court of Federal Claims has exclusive jurisdiction over money damages against the United States - United States Tax Court has jurisdiction over contested pre-assessment determinations of taxes - District court has concurrent jurisdiction over many cases heard by other federal trial courts - District court is the only one with jurisdiction over civilian criminal cases

Judges and Their Appointment - District judges officially titled United States District Judges - Other federal judges can also sit in a district court upon assignment - Number of judges in each district court set by Congress - Federal judges appointed by the president for terms of good behavior - Senatorial courtesy allows senators to have input into the nominating process

Powers and Responsibilities of District Courts - District courts are courts of law, equity, and admiralty - Can hear both civil and criminal cases - Federal district courts have limited jurisdiction - Can only hear cases involving disputes between residents of different states, federal law questions, or federal crimes - State courts retain concurrent jurisdiction in most federal matters

Clerks and Attorneys - Responsible for overseeing filings, maintaining records, processing fees, and managing non-judicial work of the court - Appointed by district courts and may have deputies, clerical assistants, and employees - Must reside in the district, with exceptions for certain districts - Judiciary Act of 1789 authorised the appointment of clerks to assist with federal judicial business - Duties prescribed by statute, court customs, and policies established by the Judicial Conference - Attorneys must be admitted to the bar of the specific district court to represent a party in a case - No separate bar examination for federal practice, except for patent practice - Admission generally available to attorneys admitted to practice law in the state where the district court sits - Some districts extend admission to attorneys admitted in other states, with conditions varying - Application, fee, and oath of admission usually required, with additional requirements in some districts