After reading this chapter, students will be able to:

• Describe the history of the courts
• Identify the different types of courts and the types of cases they hear
• Distinguish among federal, state, and local courts
• Outline the process by which the Supreme Court hears a case
• Describe how lower courts are arranged and their relationships
• Explain the many actors in a courtroom, called the courtroom workgroup, and how they interact with each other
• Explain the influences of technology on increased efficiencies in court processes