District Court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil
and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. In contrast to the
Supreme Court, which was established by Article III of the Constitution, the district courts were established by Congress.
There is no constitutional requirement that there be any district courts at all. Indeed, after the ratification of the
Constitution, some opponents of a strong federal judiciary urged that the federal court system be limited to the Supreme
Court, which would hear appeals from state courts. This view did not prevail, however, and the first Congress created the
district court system that is still in place today.
District Court at HMCE
In District Court, students have the chance to demonstrate their talents as lawyers, witnesses, and jurors. This
HMCE feature is a mock trial program with cases argued before a jury. The element of drama plays a large role in
the District Court, as witnesses influence the course of a trial with their testimonies.
Participation in District Court gives students a better understanding of how the American judicial system works,
both in the administration of justice and in the protection of the rights of the accused. These trials give students
a valuable opportunity to develop skills in critical analysis, oral presentation, and preparation and organization of
materials. Delegations send six-person teams to District Court to act as the prosecution or defense, plaintiffs,
witnesses, and jurors. Harvard students serve as judges and head jurors for the trials.
For more details, see the 2010 Guide to District Court.
2010 Staff and Topics
Committee Chair:
Ethan Amaker
Committee Vice-Chair:
Sanjey Sivanesan
Topic 1:
Williams v. Lynch
Topic 2:
Johnson v. Lexcorp
Topic 3:
Pennsylvania v. King
Committee message board:
http://hmce.activeboard.com
Relevant Links
Use these links to research the role and structure of district courts in the American judicial system.