(By Toni M. Fine)
The U.S. Constitution establishes a system of federalism under which the federal government is granted limited authority, with all remaining authority left to the states. This model of shared powers defines the relationship between the federal and state courts. In this overview of the various levels of the U.S. courts, Toni M. Fine, associate director of the Global Law School Program at New York University Law School, explains how the court system functions.
It is something of a myth to speak about …