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The Court of Appeals sits atop the State judicial system. Matters argued before the Court have often been heard by two lower courts (a trial court and the Appellate Division).

Court 
of Appeals

Except in cases involving a Federal question, where the Supreme Court of the United States, has the last word, the Court of Appeals makes the final statement of decisional law in New York State.

In recent years, the Court has written opinions in about 175 cases annually, in addition to deciding approximately 1,200 motions for leave to appeal in civil cases and 2,800 criminal leave applications.
Appellate Division
Four Departments
Appellate Term
1st and 2nd Department		 Supreme Court - Statewide
Court of Claims
Statewide		 Family Court
1 each County except one
for N.Y.C.
(5 counties in N.Y.C.)		 Surrogates Court
1 in each County
(62)		 County Court
1 in each County
outside N.Y.C.
(57)
New York City
Civil Court 		New York City
Criminal Court		 District Court
Nassau & Suffolk		 City Courts
outside New York City		 Town Court Village Court