The three-judge district court was created in 1910 to handle constitutional challenges to state laws. Over time, it became a key player in Civil Rights Era cases, especially in the South. A study of 885 court decisions from 1954 to 1976 found that these courts often ruled in favor of plaintiffs, leading to a high rate of appeals to the Supreme Court. Congress later limited the court's jurisdiction to only hear reapportionment cases.