<P> The Supreme Court is the only federal court that is explicitly mandated by the Constitution . During the Constitutional Convention , a proposal was made for the Supreme Court to be the only federal court , having both original jurisdiction and appellate jurisdiction . This proposal was rejected in favor of the provision that exists today . Under this provision , the Congress may create inferior ( i.e. , lower ) courts under both Article III , Section 1 , and Article I , Section 8 . The Article III courts , which are also known as `` constitutional courts '' , were first created by the Judiciary Act of 1789 . Article I courts , which are also known as `` legislative courts '' , consist of regulatory agencies , such as the United States Tax Court . Article III courts are the only ones with judicial power , and so decisions of regulatory agencies remain subject to review by Article III courts . However , cases not requiring `` judicial determination '' may come before Article I courts . In the case of ( ( Murray 's Lessee v. Hoboken Land & Improvement Co . ) ) 59 U.S. 272 ( 1855 ) , the Supreme Court ruled that cases involving `` a suit at the common law , or in equity , or admiralty '' inherently involve judicial determination and must come before Article III courts . Other cases , such as bankruptcy cases , have been held not to involve judicial determination , and may therefore go before Article I courts . Similarly , several courts in the District of Columbia , which is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress , are Article I courts rather than Article III courts . This article was expressly extended to the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico by the U.S. Congress through Federal Law 89 - 571 , 80 Stat. 764 , signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966 . This transformed the article IV United States territorial court in Puerto Rico , created in 1900 , to an Article III federal judicial district court . </P>
<P> The Supreme Court is the only federal court that is explicitly mandated by the Constitution . During the Constitutional Convention , a proposal was made for the Supreme Court to be the only federal court , having both original jurisdiction and appellate jurisdiction . This proposal was rejected in favor of the provision that exists today . Under this provision , the Congress may create inferior ( i.e. , lower ) courts under both Article III , Section 1 , and Article I , Section 8 . The Article III courts , which are also known as `` constitutional courts '' , were first created by the Judiciary Act of 1789 . Article I courts , which are also known as `` legislative courts '' , consist of regulatory agencies , such as the United States Tax Court . Article III courts are the only ones with judicial power , and so decisions of regulatory agencies remain subject to review by Article III courts . However , cases not requiring `` judicial determination '' may come before Article I courts . In the case of ( ( Murray 's Lessee v. Hoboken Land & Improvement Co . ) ) 59 U.S. 272 ( 1855 ) , the Supreme Court ruled that cases involving `` a suit at the common law , or in equity , or admiralty '' inherently involve judicial determination and must come before Article III courts . Other cases , such as bankruptcy cases , have been held not to involve judicial determination , and may therefore go before Article I courts . Similarly , several courts in the District of Columbia , which is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress , are Article I courts rather than Article III courts . This article was expressly extended to the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico by the U.S. Congress through Federal Law 89 - 571 , 80 Stat. 764 , signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966 . This transformed the article IV United States territorial court in Puerto Rico , created in 1900 , to an Article III federal judicial district court . </P>
the only type of court ( s ) required by the constitution is / are
the only type of court ( s ) required by the constitution is / are
The Supreme Court
The Supreme Court