​Federal administrative agencies are separate from the federal court system. Federal administrative agencies have their own judges and procedures. Cases heard in the federal administrative law system include those involving social security, and immigration regulations and laws.

Some federal administrative agencies have special names, such as the Office of Hearings and Appeals, which hears Social Security cases, or the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which hears cases involving challenges to immigration regulations. See the Social Security Hearings and Appeals webpage for more information. See Organizational Information and Breakdown (from the U.S. Department of Justice) for more information about review of immigration hearings and appeals.

Appeals from federal administrative agencies eventually make their way into the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. However, the party seeking the appeal must have already taken advantage of all possible administrative law procedures before going to the United States Court of Appeals. See Federal Courts for more information about the federal court system. The United States Courts Web site contains information about United States District Courts and the United States Court of Appeals.​​​

This information last reviewed: Aug 5, 2024