The Federal Courts are divided into three levels: the United States Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeals, and the United States District Courts.
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is one of three district courts in the state of Pennsylvania. The Eastern District comprises the counties of Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Philadelphia.
Appeals from this Court go to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and then to the United States Supreme Court. Each appellate court has its own rules for filing, so you will want to check the rules for those courts if you are filing there.
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts created the following guides to explain the federal court system:
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