<P> "Whether a given court has jurisdiction to preside over a given case" is a key question in any legal action . Three basic components of jurisdiction are personal jurisdiction over an individual, jurisdiction over the particular subject matter (subject - matter jurisdiction) or thing (res) and territorial jurisdiction . Jurisdiction over a person refers to the full authority over a person regardless on where they live, jurisdiction over a particular subject matter refers to the authority over the said subject of legal cases involved in a case, and lastly, territorial jurisdiction is the authority over a person within an x amount of space . </P> <P> Other concepts of jurisdiction include general jurisdiction, exclusive jurisdiction, territorial jurisdiction, appellate jurisdiction, and (in the United States federal courts) diversity jurisdiction . </P> <P> Trial courts are courts that hold trials . Sometimes termed "courts of first instance", trial courts have varying original jurisdiction . Trial courts may conduct trials with juries as the finders of fact (these are known as jury trials) or trials in which judges act as both finders of fact and finders of law (in some jurisdictions these are known as bench trials). Juries are less common in court systems outside the Anglo - American common law tradition . </P> <P> Appellate courts are courts that hear appeals of lower courts and trial courts . </P>

The u.s. court process is best described as