Of the 13 U.S. courts of appeals, Multiple Choice only 12 are assigned geographically to groups of states to deal with disputes over state laws. one is devoted to issues involving military tribunals and the District of Columbia. three are devoted to dealing with disputes involving the overlapping contradiction between state and federal laws. 11 have jurisdiction over a "circuit" made up of the district courts in anywhere from three to nine states. five have jurisdiction over disputes involving foreign territories or countries and the District of Columbia