Generally the federal and state courts in the United States are divided into three main parts:
Federal Courts: the District Courts are the trial courts, where the action is initially filed; the Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court; and the Supreme Court is the final appellate court.
State Courts: also generally have trial courts, intermediate appellate courts, and an appellate court of last resort. Each state uses its own terminology for naming its courts. In Arkansas:
U.S Supreme Court Cases: Supreme Court opinions are published in 3 different case law reporters: United States Reports (the official reporter) - "U.S.", Supreme Court Reporter (West) - "S. Ct.", and Lawyers' Edition (Lexis) - "L. Ed.". Sample citation for Brown v. Board of Ed. of Topeka: 347 U.S. 483, 74 S. Ct. 686, 98 L. Ed. 873.