Which 1789 U.S. law established the federal judiciary, including the first detailed structure for federal courts?

The Judiciary Act of 1789 established the federal judiciary, including the first detailed structure for federal courts.

The U.S. Constitution created a Supreme Court but left Congress to determine the organization and operation of the federal judicial system. The First Congress addressed that task by passing the act, which President George Washington signed on September 24, 1789.

The law set the Supreme Court’s initial membership at six justices: one chief justice and five associate justices. It also created federal district courts and circuit courts, dividing the country into 13 judicial districts within the 11 states that had then ratified the Constitution.

The act established the offices of U.S. attorney and U.S. marshal in each district. It also included a provision later examined in Marbury v. Madison. The Supreme Court ruled that part of the law unconstitutional in 1803, making the act an important part of the history of judicial review. The Judiciary Act of 1789 is distinct from later Judiciary Acts that changed court procedures or structure.