The present judicial system in Virginia consists of four levels of courts: the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the circuit courts, and the district courts. The Supreme Court is Virginia's court of last resort. It's a discretionary court, which means that it can choose which appeals to hear. The Court of Appeals is an intermediate court. It must hear any appeals brought before it from the lower level courts. The circuit courts and the district courts are the courts of first instance, in other words, these are courts of original jurisdiction where most matters start. In addition to the courts, magistrates serve as judicial officers with authority to handle different processes usually in criminal matters.
For a more thorough overview of the Virginia court system, please refer to Virginia's Court System (CIB) available from the Virginia Judicial System website. Non-lawyers may also find the Virginia Judicial System Court Self-Help Resources helpful.
Bloomberg, Westlaw, and Lexis are available to Scalia Law students and faculty only.