In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, circuit judges of the U.S. Courts of Appeals, district judges of the U.S. District Courts, and judges of the U.S. Court of International Trade. These judges are often called "Article Three judges". Unlike the president and vice president of the United States and U.S. senators and representatives, U.S. federal judges are not elected officials. They are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, pursuant to the Appointments Clause of Article Two of the U.S. Constitution. Article Three of the Constitution gives federal judges life tenure, and they hold their seats until they die, resign, or are removed from office through impeachment. Strictly speaking, the term "federal judge" does not include U.S. magistrate judges or the judges of lesser federal tribunals such as the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, the U.S. Tax Court, and other "Article One tribunals". Nor does it apply to U.S. government agencies' administrative law judges. Although these judges serve on courts of the U.S. federal government, they do not have life tenure and their authority derives from Congress via Article One of the Constitution, not independently via Article Three. These judges are often known as "Article One judges". Appointments According to the Appointments Clause of Article Two of the U.S. Constitution, all federal judges, including the judges of the Supreme Court and inferior federal courts created by the Congress, shall be nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The Constitution does not provide any eligibility criteria – such as age, literacy, citizenship, legal education, legal/bar or any professional certification, and legal/judicial experience – for one to be appointed as a federal judge. Powers and duties The primary function of the federal judges is to resolve matters brought before the United States federal courts. Most federal courts in the United States are courts of limited jurisdiction, meaning that they hear only cases for which jurisdiction is authorized by the United States constitution or federal statutes. However, federal district courts are authorized to hear a wide range of civil and criminal cases. District court judges are recognized as having a certain