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<GovernmentManual>
  <accessId>GOVMAN-2014-10-06-082</accessId>
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    <Category>Judicial Branch</Category>
    <IntroductoryHeader/>
    <IntroductoryParagraph/>
    <AgencyName>United States Courts of Appeals</AgencyName>
    <Addresses/>
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    <MissionStatement>
      <Heading/>
    </MissionStatement>
    <OrganizationChart/>
    <LegalAuthority>
      <Heading/>
    </LegalAuthority>
    <OrganizationStatement>
      <Heading/>
    </OrganizationStatement>
    <ProgramAndActivities>
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          <Details>
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              <Paragraph>The courts of appeals are intermediate appellate courts created by act of March 3, 1891 (28 U.S.C. ch. 3), to relieve the Supreme Court of considering all appeals in cases originally decided by the Federal trial courts. They are empowered to review all final decisions and certain interlocutory decisions (18 U.S.C. 3731; 28 U.S.C. 1291, 1292) of district courts. They also are empowered to review and enforce orders of many Federal administrative bodies. The decisions of the courts of appeals are final except as they are subject to review on writ of certiorari by the Supreme Court.</Paragraph>
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                <Email/>
                <Footer/>
                <WebAddress/>
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              <Paragraph>The United States is divided geographically into 12 judicial circuits, including the District of Columbia. Each circuit has a court of appeals (28 U.S.C. 41, 1294). Each of the 50 States is assigned to one of the circuits. The territories and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are assigned variously to the first, third, and ninth circuits. There is also a Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which has nationwide jurisdiction defined by subject matter. At present each court of appeals has from 6 to 28 permanent circuit judgeships (179 in all), depending upon the amount of judicial work in the circuit. Circuit judges hold their offices during good behavior as provided by Article III, section 1, of the Constitution. The judge senior in commission who is under 70 years of age (65 at inception of term), has been in office at least 1 year, and has not previously been chief judge, serves as the chief judge of the circuit for a 7-year term. One of the Justices of the  Supreme Court is assigned as circuit justice for each of the 13 judicial circuits. Each court of appeals normally hears cases in panels consisting of three judges but may sit en banc with all judges present.</Paragraph>
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                <Email/>
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                <WebAddress/>
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              <Heading/>
              <Paragraph>The judges of each circuit (except the Federal Circuit) by vote determine the size of the judicial council for the circuit, which consists of the chief judge and an equal number of circuit and district judges. The council considers the state of Federal judicial business in the circuit and may "make all necessary and appropriate orders for [its] effective and expeditious administration . . ." (28 U.S.C. 332).</Paragraph>
            </Detail>
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                <Email/>
                <Footer/>
                <WebAddress/>
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              <Heading/>
              <Paragraph>The chief judge of each circuit may summon periodically a judicial conference of all judges of the circuit, including members of the bar, to discuss the business of the Federal courts of the circuit (28 U.S.C. 333). The chief judge of each circuit and a district judge elected from each of the 12 geographical circuits, together with the chief judge of the Court of International Trade, serve as members of the Judicial Conference of the United States, over which the Chief Justice of the United States presides. This is the governing body for the administration of the Federal judicial system as a whole (28 U.S.C. 331).</Paragraph>
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                <Email/>
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                <WebAddress/>
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              <Heading/>
              <Paragraph>To obtain a complete list of judges, court officials, and official stations of the United States Courts of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, as well as information on opinions and cases before the court, consult the Judicial Circuit Web sites listed below.</Paragraph>
            </Detail>
          </Details>
          <KeyOfficialTables>
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              <ColumnOneHeader>Circuit</ColumnOneHeader>
              <ColumnTwoHeader>URL</ColumnTwoHeader>
              <ColumnThreeHeader/>
              <ColumnFourHeader/>
              <ColumnFiveHeader/>
              <ColumnSixHeader/>
              <ColumnSevenHeader/>
              <TableHeader>List of Judicial Circuit Web Sites—United States Courts of Appeals</TableHeader>
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                <Email/>
                <WebAddress/>
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                  <NumberOfColumnVisible>2</NumberOfColumnVisible>
                  <ColumnOneValue>District of Columbia Circuit</ColumnOneValue>
                  <ColumnTwoValue>http://www.cadc.uscourts.gov</ColumnTwoValue>
                  <ColumnThreeValue/>
                  <ColumnFourValue/>
                  <ColumnFiveValue/>
                  <ColumnSixValue/>
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                  <NumberOfColumnVisible>2</NumberOfColumnVisible>
                  <ColumnOneValue>First Circuit</ColumnOneValue>
                  <ColumnTwoValue>http://www.ca1.uscourts.gov</ColumnTwoValue>
                  <ColumnThreeValue/>
                  <ColumnFourValue/>
                  <ColumnFiveValue/>
                  <ColumnSixValue/>
                  <ColumnSevenValue/>
                </Values>
                <Values SortOrder="3" ValueID="11">
                  <NumberOfColumnVisible>2</NumberOfColumnVisible>
                  <ColumnOneValue>Second Circuit</ColumnOneValue>
                  <ColumnTwoValue>http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov</ColumnTwoValue>
                  <ColumnThreeValue/>
                  <ColumnFourValue/>
                  <ColumnFiveValue/>
                  <ColumnSixValue/>
                  <ColumnSevenValue/>
                </Values>
                <Values SortOrder="4" ValueID="12">
                  <NumberOfColumnVisible>2</NumberOfColumnVisible>
                  <ColumnOneValue>Third Circuit</ColumnOneValue>
                  <ColumnTwoValue>http://www.ca3.uscourts.gov</ColumnTwoValue>
                  <ColumnThreeValue/>
                  <ColumnFourValue/>
                  <ColumnFiveValue/>
                  <ColumnSixValue/>
                  <ColumnSevenValue/>
                </Values>
                <Values SortOrder="5" ValueID="13">
                  <NumberOfColumnVisible>2</NumberOfColumnVisible>
                  <ColumnOneValue>Fourth Circuit</ColumnOneValue>
                  <ColumnTwoValue>http://www.ca4.uscourts.gov</ColumnTwoValue>
                  <ColumnThreeValue/>
                  <ColumnFourValue/>
                  <ColumnFiveValue/>
                  <ColumnSixValue/>
                  <ColumnSevenValue/>
                </Values>
                <Values SortOrder="6" ValueID="14">
                  <NumberOfColumnVisible>2</NumberOfColumnVisible>
                  <ColumnOneValue>Fifth Circuit</ColumnOneValue>
                  <ColumnTwoValue>http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov</ColumnTwoValue>
                  <ColumnThreeValue/>
                  <ColumnFourValue/>
                  <ColumnFiveValue/>
                  <ColumnSixValue/>
                  <ColumnSevenValue/>
                </Values>
                <Values SortOrder="7" ValueID="15">
                  <NumberOfColumnVisible>2</NumberOfColumnVisible>
                  <ColumnOneValue>Sixth Circuit</ColumnOneValue>
                  <ColumnTwoValue>http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov</ColumnTwoValue>
                  <ColumnThreeValue/>
                  <ColumnFourValue/>
                  <ColumnFiveValue/>
                  <ColumnSixValue/>
                  <ColumnSevenValue/>
                </Values>
                <Values SortOrder="8" ValueID="16">
                  <NumberOfColumnVisible>2</NumberOfColumnVisible>
                  <ColumnOneValue>Seventh Circuit</ColumnOneValue>
                  <ColumnTwoValue>http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov</ColumnTwoValue>
                  <ColumnThreeValue/>
                  <ColumnFourValue/>
                  <ColumnFiveValue/>
                  <ColumnSixValue/>
                  <ColumnSevenValue/>
                </Values>
                <Values SortOrder="9" ValueID="17">
                  <NumberOfColumnVisible>2</NumberOfColumnVisible>
                  <ColumnOneValue>Eighth Circuit</ColumnOneValue>
                  <ColumnTwoValue>http://www.ca8.uscourts.gov</ColumnTwoValue>
                  <ColumnThreeValue/>
                  <ColumnFourValue/>
                  <ColumnFiveValue/>
                  <ColumnSixValue/>
                  <ColumnSevenValue/>
                </Values>
                <Values SortOrder="10" ValueID="18">
                  <NumberOfColumnVisible>2</NumberOfColumnVisible>
                  <ColumnOneValue>Ninth Circuit</ColumnOneValue>
                  <ColumnTwoValue>http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov</ColumnTwoValue>
                  <ColumnThreeValue/>
                  <ColumnFourValue/>
                  <ColumnFiveValue/>
                  <ColumnSixValue/>
                  <ColumnSevenValue/>
                </Values>
                <Values SortOrder="11" ValueID="19">
                  <NumberOfColumnVisible>2</NumberOfColumnVisible>
                  <ColumnOneValue>Tenth Circuit</ColumnOneValue>
                  <ColumnTwoValue>http://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/</ColumnTwoValue>
                  <ColumnThreeValue/>
                  <ColumnFourValue/>
                  <ColumnFiveValue/>
                  <ColumnSixValue/>
                  <ColumnSevenValue/>
                </Values>
                <Values SortOrder="12" ValueID="20">
                  <NumberOfColumnVisible>2</NumberOfColumnVisible>
                  <ColumnOneValue>Eleventh Circuit</ColumnOneValue>
                  <ColumnTwoValue>http://www.ca11.uscourts.gov/</ColumnTwoValue>
                  <ColumnThreeValue/>
                  <ColumnFourValue/>
                  <ColumnFiveValue/>
                  <ColumnSixValue/>
                  <ColumnSevenValue/>
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      <Email/>
      <WebAddress/>
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</GovernmentManual>
