All federal courts, except for the U.S. Supreme Court were created by Congress. There are about 550 federal district-court judges who are appointed by the president with the advice of the Senate. District courts are the only courts in the federal system in which juries hear testimony in some cases, and most cases at this level are presented before a single judge. They heard about 267,000 cases in 1990. Federal district courts are bound by legal precedents established by the Supreme Court.
Most federal cases end with the district court's decision.
The Court of International Trade hears cases involving appeals of rulings of U.S. Customs offices. The Court of Claims hears cases in which the U.S. Government is sued.