who is in the judicial branch
The judicial branch is made up of the court system and the judges who interpret laws, with the U.S. Supreme Court at the top of the federal system.
Who is in the judicial branch?
- Judges and justices at different levels of courts (local, state, and federal).
- U.S. Supreme Court justices : nine members total – one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices, all nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
- Lower federal court judges , including those on:
- U.S. district courts (trial courts).
* U.S. courts of appeals (13 circuits reviewing lower courts).
In short, when people ask “who is in the judicial branch,” they’re talking about the Supreme Court justices plus all the other federal (and state) judges who interpret and apply the laws.
| Level | Who is in it? | Main role |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme Court | Chief Justice + 8 Associate Justices. | [5][9][3][7]Final decisions on major constitutional and federal law questions. | [9][3]
| Courts of Appeals | Judges on 13 federal circuits. | [3][9]Review decisions from district (trial) courts. | [9][3]
| District Courts | Federal trial judges across the country. | [3][9]Hold trials and decide federal cases first. | [9][3]
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.