Court of last resort
Glossary·Verified 2026-07-10
Definition
A court of last resort is the highest court in a state's judicial system, the final stop for an appeal within that state. Most states call it the state supreme court, though naming is not universal.
Why it matters
Once a case is decided by the court of last resort, the only further appeal is to the U.S. Supreme Court, and only if the case raises a federal constitutional question. On any question of pure state law, the court of last resort has the final word.
Seen in the wild
New York is the best-known exception to the naming pattern: its court of last resort is called the Court of Appeals, while the state's trial-level courts are confusingly named the Supreme Court.