Why Are There Two Court Systems in the United States?

The judicial system in the United States is unique and complex insofar as it is actually made up of two different court systems: the federal court system and the state court systems. While each court system is responsible for hearing certain types of cases, neither is completely independent of the other, and the systems often interact. Furthermore, solving legal disputes and vindicating legal rights are key goals of both court systems.

Introduction 3
Why Are There Two Court Systems in the United States? 3
The Differences in the Structure of the Federal and State Court Systems. 4
Federal Court System 4
U.S. District Courts 4
U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal 4
U.S. Supreme Court 5
Special Article III Courts 5
Special Courts Created by Congress 5
State Court Systems 6
Trial Courts of Limited Jurisdiction 6
Trial Courts of General Jurisdiction 6
Intermediate Appellate Courts 7
Highest State Courts 7
What Types of Cases do Federal Courts hear? By State Courts? 8
Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts 8
Diversity of Citizenship 8
Jurisdiction of the State Courts 9
Areas of Concurrent Jurisdiction for Federal and State Courts 10
Conclusion 11