Appetizers & Advocacy

The Judicial Council of Georgia was created in 1945 to develop policies for administering and improving Georgia Courts. The Judicial Council and its committees meet throughout the year to address specific aspects of court administration and improvement. Chaired by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, the Council is made up of 28 members who represent every class of court and the State Bar of Georgia.

The Supreme Court of Georgia is the highest court in the state. What gets decided by this court is generally the last word, although decisions may be petitioned for appeal to the United States Supreme Court if they involve federal constitutional law.

Georgia’s Supreme Court reviews decisions made by the state’s lower trial courts in civil and criminal cases. This court alone rules on questions involving the constitutionality of state statutes, criminal cases in which the death sentence was imposed or could have been imposed, election contests, and petitions from decisions of the Court of Appeals. Oral arguments are held 3 to 4 times a month, at which time all 9 justices sit as a court to hear cases. No trials are held at the appellate level.

The Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia is the intermediate appellate court in Georgia. It was established in 1906 and has fifteen judges who serve in five divisions. The Court of Appeals has statewide appellate jurisdiction of all cases except those involving constitutional questions, murder, and habeas corpus cases where original appellate jurisdiction lies with the Supreme Court. The Court of Appeals may certify legal questions to the Supreme Court.

On March 30, 2017, Governor Nathan Deal issued an Executive Order establishing a Court Reform Council “to review current practices and procedures within the judicial court system . . . and make recommendations to improve efficiencies and achieve best practices for the administration of justice . . . .” To fulfill this mission, the Court Reform Council created three subcommittees, among them a “Statewide Business Court” Subcommittee tasked with evaluating “the feasibility and efficacy of a statewide Business or Complex Litigation Court.”

At the First National Conference of the Judiciary, held in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1971, United States Chief Justice Warren Burger called for the creation of a central resource for the state courts—a "national center for state courts." The National Center for State Courts began operations that same year at the headquarters of the Federal Judicial Center in Washington, D.C., before moving to its permanent headquarters in Williamsburg in 1978. Initially, the National Center concentrated on helping courts to reduce backlogs and delay. This work included the publication of the groundbreaking Justice Delayed: The Pace of Litigation in Urban Trial Courts in 1978. The National Center also gave judges and court administrators a vital national perspective on court operations through its Court Statistics Project (started in 1978); the work of its Knowledge and Information Service, which handled more than 1,000 requests for court-related information during its first year of operation (1979); and the holdings of its Library, the largest collection of court administration-related materials in the world.

Article III of the U.S. Constitution establishes the judicial branch as one of the three separate and distinct branches of the federal government.

Established by the United States Constitution, the Supreme Court began to take shape with the passage of the Judiciary Act of 1789 and has enjoyed a rich history since its first assembly in 1790. The Supreme Court is deeply tied to its traditions: Of the federal government’s three branches, the Court bears the closest resemblance to its original form.

Courts of appeals review challenges to court decisions to determine whether the proceedings were fair and the law was applied correctly.

U.S. district courts are the primary trial courts of the federal court system.

Bankruptcy courts help people and businesses who cannot pay their debts get a fresh start.

The United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims is a national court of record, established under Article I of the Constitution of the United States. The Court has exclusive jurisdiction to provide judicial review of final decisions by the Board of Veterans' Appeals, an entity within the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Court provides veterans an impartial judicial forum for review of administrative decisions by the Board of Veterans' Appeals that are adverse to the veteran-appellant's claim of entitlement to benefits for service-connected disabilities, survivor benefits and other benefits such as education payments and waiver of indebtedness. In furtherance of its mission, the Court also seeks to help ensure that all veterans have equal access to the Court and to promote public trust and confidence in the Court.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces exercises worldwide appellate jurisdiction over members of the armed forces on active duty and other persons subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The Court is composed of five civilian judges appointed for 15-year terms by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Cases on the Court’s docket address a broad range of legal issues, including constitutional law, criminal law, evidence, criminal procedure, ethics, administrative law, and national security law. Decisions by the Court are subject to direct review by the Supreme Court of the United States.

The mission of the United States Tax Court is to provide a national forum for the expeditious resolution of disputes between taxpayers and the Internal Revenue Service; for careful consideration of the merits of each case; and to ensure a uniform interpretation of the Internal Revenue Code. The Court is committed to providing taxpayers, most of whom are self-represented, with a reasonable opportunity to appear before the Court, with as little inconvenience and expense as is practicable. The Court is also committed to providing an accessible judicial forum with simplified procedures for disputes involving $50,000 or less.