<P> While it has the smallest geographic jurisdiction of any of the United States courts of appeals , the D.C. Circuit , with eleven active judgeships , is arguably the most important inferior appellate court . The court is given the responsibility of directly reviewing the decisions and rulemaking of many federal independent agencies of the United States government based in the national capital , often without prior hearing by a district court . Aside from the agencies whose statutes explicitly direct review by the D.C. Circuit , the court typically hears cases from other agencies under the more general jurisdiction granted to the Courts of Appeals under the Administrative Procedure Act . Given the broad areas over which federal agencies have power , this often gives the judges of the D.C. Circuit a central role in affecting national U.S. policy and law . Because of this , the D.C. Circuit is often referred to as the second most powerful court in the United States , second only to the Supreme Court </P>
<P> While it has the smallest geographic jurisdiction of any of the United States courts of appeals , the D.C. Circuit , with eleven active judgeships , is arguably the most important inferior appellate court . The court is given the responsibility of directly reviewing the decisions and rulemaking of many federal independent agencies of the United States government based in the national capital , often without prior hearing by a district court . Aside from the agencies whose statutes explicitly direct review by the D.C. Circuit , the court typically hears cases from other agencies under the more general jurisdiction granted to the Courts of Appeals under the Administrative Procedure Act . Given the broad areas over which federal agencies have power , this often gives the judges of the D.C. Circuit a central role in affecting national U.S. policy and law . Because of this , the D.C. Circuit is often referred to as the second most powerful court in the United States , second only to the Supreme Court </P>
what is the most important court in the us
what is the most important court in the us
the Supreme Court
the Supreme Court