How is the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit different from the U. S. Courts

of Appeals?

In the federal system, 94 district courts are organized into 12 circuits, or regions. Each circuit has its own Court of Appeals that reviews cases decided in U. S. District Courts within the circuit. The U. S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit brings the number of federal appellate courts to 13. This court takes cases from across the nation, but only particular types of cases.

Explanation:

The Supreme Court of the United States hears about 100 to 150 appeals of the more than 7,000 cases it is asked to review every year. That means the decisions made by the 12 Circuit Courts of Appeals across the country and the Federal Circuit Court are the last word in thousands of cases. At a trial in a U. S. District Court, witnesses give testimony and a judge or jury decides who is guilty or not guilty - or who is liable or not liable. An appeal is available if, after a trial in the U. S. District Court, the losing side has issues with the trial court proceedings, the law that was applied, or how the law was applied. The dissatisfied side may also claim that the law the trial court applied violates the U. S. Constitution or a state constitution.