| A | B |
|---|
| a court's authority to hear and decide cases | jurisdiction |
| authority of only federal courts to hear and decide cases | exclusive jurisdiction |
| powers shared by the state and federal governments | concurrent jurisdiction |
| federal courts where trials are held and lawsuits are begun | district courts |
| the authority to hear cases for the first time | original jurisdiction |
| a court that reviews decisions made in lower district courts | appeals courts |
| the authority of a court to hear a case appealed from a lower court | appellate jurisdiction |
| the area of jurisdiction of a federal court of appeals | circuit |
| to send a case back to a lower court to be tried again | remand |
| a detailed explanation of the legal thinking behind a court's decision in a case | opinion |
| a ruling that is used as the basis for a judicial decision in a later, similar case | precedent |
| in accordance with the Constitution | constitutional |
| the power of the Supreme Court to say whether any federal, state, or local law or government action goes against the Constitution | judicial review |
| a court's calendar, showing the schedule of cases it is to hear | docket |
| a written document explaining the position of one side or the other in a case | brief |
| a statement that presents the views of the majority of Supreme Court justices regarding a case | majority opinion |
| a statement written by a justice who disagrees with the majority opinion, presenting his or her opinion | dissenting opinion |
| a statement written by a justice who votes with the majority, but for different reasons | concurring opinion |
| the practice of using earlier judicial rulings as a basis for deciding cases | stare decisis |
| a decision by the Supreme Court to hear an appeal from a lower court | writ of certioria |
| to recognize the existence of or to make something known | acknowledge |
| to produce an effect one | affect |
| the number of cases handled in a given period | caseload |
| an incident or occurrence | circumstance |
| a struggle or disagreement | conflict |
| an official that takes car of much of a judge's routine work | magistrate |
| one that makes arrests, collects fines, and takes convicted persons to prisons | marshalls |
| to change the verdict of the case | reverse |
| to submit for review or decision | submit |
| federal judges have their jobs for life unless impeached | tenure |
| the Supreme Court rules on a case in which all justices agree on the rulings | unanimous opinion |
| to agree with the verdict given in the lower court | uphold |
