Some quick notes on procedural history

One of the things we to when briefing cases is the procedural history of the case. While every state has its own court hierarchy, most follow a structure similar to the federal government (i.e. trial -> appellate -> supreme). On the other hand, some are quite different.

While you’ll be exposed to federal cases and cases from every state, a majority of cases you’ll encounter will be from California and New York. Given the populations of those two states, it makes sense that there’s a great deal of litigation coming from them.

:book: California courts follow a structure very similar to that of the federal government.

California

:book: New York (NY) Courts have a very different structure.

New York

You can follow the link below to see how NY criminal courts are structured. It’s not relevant here because we’re concerned with contract law. At any rate, this should help if you’re confused by the NY court structure.


References
https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/court-role-and-structure
https://www.courts.ca.gov/2113.htm
http://www.nycourts.gov/courts/structure.shtml