| The Courts and Community Relations |
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| A 1999 national survey conducted by the National Center for States Courts in Williamsburg, Virginia, revealed that almost half of all American citizens thought the courts were out of touch with the surrounding community. This number increased to two-thirds among African-Americans who were surveyed. As a result, collaborative programs between the community and state courts are becoming more common. The goal is to foster the average citizen's understanding of the judiciary and to build public trust in the court system.
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| Federal Court of Appeals Judges |
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| The federal court system has an intermediate level appellate court, which is called the court of appeals. The President of the United States appoints all federal judges, including federal court of appeals judges. However, the United States Senate has to confirm each appointment. Federal judges are appointed for life.
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| Impeachment of Federal Judges |
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| Under the United States Constitution, the President of the United States, with the approval of the United States Senate, appoints federal judges. Federal judges are appointed for life but can be removed from office by impeachment. More... |
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| The Role of the Appellate Court's Legal Staff |
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| The legal staff of an appellate court include the clerks of court, short-term law clerks, career law clerks, and staff attorneys.
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| Personal Representatives |
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| When a person dies, state law establishes legal procedures for settling the deceased person's estate. This process is called probate. If the person has a will, he/she may name someone to serve as personal representative. A personal representative is the executor or administrator of a deceased person's estate. In some states, the terms executor and administrator are used in place of personal representative. If no personal representative is specified by will or if the person dies intestate (without a will), the probate court will appoint someone to serve as personal representative.
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