Federal Judicial Center Operational Status:

Due to a lapse in appropriations, the Federal Judicial Center (Center) has ceased all non-excepted activities until funding is restored.

The Center will post any changes in operational status on this web page. Please check back for updates.

U.S. Circuit Courts Abolished

March 3, 1911

In 1911, Congress compiled the first judicial code, which consisted of all the statutes Congress had passed concerning the federal judiciary that were still in effect. At the same time, Congress abolished the U.S. circuit courts as of January 1, 1912, transferring their jurisdiction to the U.S. district courts. The three-tiered structure of the judiciary, consisting of the U.S. district courts, the U.S. circuit courts of appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States, has remained in place since 1912.

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U.S. Circuit Courts Abolished