Module 2

Who decides: federal and state courts, trial and appeal, jurisdiction and venue, small claims, agencies, arbitration and mediation, and how to choose where a problem belongs

A right is only as useful as the place where you can enforce it. Many people with a good case lose time, money or the case itself because they brought it to the wrong place: a court that cannot hear it, an agency that must decide first, or a private arbitrator they had agreed to in the small print. This module is a map of who decides. It explains the two court systems, the difference between a trial court and an appeals court, the words jurisdiction and venue, the small claims court that was built for ordinary people, the agencies that decide disputes about benefits, permits and work, and the private routes of arbitration and mediation. It is general education for the United States, where the rules differ by state. It is not legal advice.

General education about the legal system of the United States, using invented people and places. It states principles in simplified form and is not legal advice. The law differs by state and changes, and every case turns on its facts. If your matter is urgent, involves a large sum, your children, your home, your immigration status or your liberty, speak to a lawyer.