What is the highest court in the United States?

• A. The Supreme Court
• B. The Court of Appeals
• C. The District Court
• D. The Circuit Court

Answer: (A)

The highest court in the United States is the Supreme Court. It sits at the top of the federal judiciary and has the final say on questions of federal law and constitutional interpretation. All lower federal courts must follow its rulings, and state courts are bound when they interpret federal law or the Constitution. In the federal system, cases typically move from district courts (trial courts) to the courts of appeals (the circuit level), and then to the Supreme Court, which selects which cases to hear. This authority to decide matters that are final and binding makes the Supreme Court the ultimate court in the land.