# § 610. Courts defined
As used in this chapter the word “courts” includes the courts of appeals and district courts of the United States, the United States District Court for the District of the Canal Zone, the District Court of Guam, the District Court of the Virgin Islands, the United States Court of Federal Claims, and the Court of International Trade.
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**Source Credit**: (June 25, 1948, ch. 646, 62 Stat. 915; Oct. 31, 1951, ch. 655, § 44, 65 Stat. 725; Pub. L. 85–508, § 12(e), July 7, 1958, 72 Stat. 348; Pub. L. 95–598, title II, § 226, Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2665; Pub. L. 96–417, title V, § 501(15), Oct. 10, 1980, 94 Stat. 1742; Pub. L. 97–164, title I, § 120(a), Apr. 2, 1982, 96 Stat. 33; Pub. L. 102–572, title IX, § 902(b)(1), Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4516.)
### Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 450 (, as added , ).
Words “and the United States Court for China” were omitted. See reviser’s note under .
Provisions making this chapter and sections 332 and 333 of this title expressly applicable to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia were omitted as covered by “courts of appeals.” (See and reviser’s notes under such section and .)
A definition of “continental United States” as “the States of the Union and the District of Columbia” is omitted as unnecessary. (See reviser’s note under .)
The term “district courts in the United States” in this section includes the District Court for the District of Columbia. (See .)
Other provisions of , U.S.C., 1940 ed., are incorporated in sections 333 and 604 of this title.
The phrase “all other courts of the United States established by Act of Congress” was added to provide for future growth of the Federal judicial system. [See Senate Revision Amendment below.]
Changes in arrangement and phraseology were made.
### Senate Revision Amendment
Those provisions of this section which related to the Tax Court were eliminated by Senate amendment. See 80th Congress Senate Report No. 1559.
## Editorial Notes
### Amendments
1992— substituted “United States Court of Federal Claims” for “United States Claims Court”.
1982— substituted “the United States Claims Court” for “the Court of Claims, the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals”.
1980— redesignated the Customs Court as the Court of International Trade.
1978— directed the amendment of section by substituting “, district courts, and bankruptcy courts” for “and district courts”, which amendment did not become effective pursuant to , as amended, set out as an Effective Date note preceding , Bankruptcy.
1958— struck out provisions which included District Court for Territory of Alaska within definition of court. See which establishes a United States District Court for the State of Alaska.
1951—Act , inserted reference to the District Court of Guam.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Effective Date of 1992 Amendment
Amendment by effective , see , set out as a note under .
### Effective Date of 1982 Amendment
Amendment by effective , see , set out as a note under .
### Effective Date of 1980 Amendment
Amendment by effective , and applicable with respect to civil actions pending on or commenced on or after such date, see , set out as a note under .
### Effective Date of 1958 Amendment
Amendment by effective , on admission of Alaska into the Union pursuant to Proc. No. 3269, , 24 F.R. 81, 73 Stat. c16, as required by sections 1 and 8(c) of , see notes set out under and preceding , Territories and Insular Possessions.
### Termination of United States District Court for the District of the Canal Zone
For termination of the United States District Court for the District of the Canal Zone at end of the “transition period”, being the 30-month period beginning , and ending midnight , see Paragraph 5 of Article XI of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 and sections 2101 and 2201 to 2203 of , , , formerly classified to sections 3831 and 3841 to 3843, respectively, of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.