Legal Definitions - Evarts Act

The Evarts Act is a significant federal law passed in the United States in 1891. Its main purpose was to fundamentally restructure the federal judiciary by creating a new, intermediate level of courts known as the circuit courts of appeals. These courts are now referred to as the U.S. courts of appeals. Before the Evarts Act, most appeals from federal trial courts went directly to the U.S. Supreme Court, which led to an overwhelming caseload for the nation's highest court. By establishing these new appellate courts, the Act created the modern system of federal appellate review, where most appeals are first heard by a court of appeals before potentially being considered by the Supreme Court.

• Example 1: Patent Infringement Appeal

  A small technology company loses a major patent infringement lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. Believing the trial court made legal errors, the company decides to appeal the decision. Under the judicial structure established by the Evarts Act, their appeal would be heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, not directly by the Supreme Court. This demonstrates how the Act created the specific intermediate appellate courts that handle appeals from federal trial courts, defining the standard pathway for federal appellate review.

• Example 2: Environmental Regulation Challenge

  An environmental advocacy group challenges a new federal regulation in a U.S. District Court, arguing it exceeds the authority granted to the federal agency. After the District Court rules against them, the group decides to pursue an appeal. Their case would proceed to the relevant U.S. Court of Appeals (e.g., the D.C. Circuit). If the Evarts Act had not been passed, this appeal would likely have gone directly to the Supreme Court, adding to its already substantial workload. This example illustrates how the Act introduced an essential layer of appellate review that prevents the Supreme Court from being overwhelmed by all federal appeals, thereby establishing the contemporary method of federal appellate review.