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As we discussed in the last lesson, jurisdiction in the context of the U.S. court system refers to the authority of a court to hear and decide cases. This authority is governed by legal statutes and constitutional provisions that determine which court can hear a particular case. There are several types of jurisdictions that U.S. courts exercise, including:
Subject matter jurisdiction refers to the authority of a court to hear cases of a particular type or cases related to a specific subject matter.
Federal courts have subject matter jurisdiction over cases involving:
Subject matter jurisdiction in federal courts is limited by the U.S. Constitution and federal statutes. Federal courts generally hear cases that involve:
The source of this jurisdiction is found in Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution, which grants federal courts the authority to decide cases resulting from the Constitution, federal laws, or treaties (What Is Federal Question Jurisdiction?, 2024).
Federal courts also have jurisdiction in cases where the parties are from different states and the amount in question exceeds $75,000, even if the legal issues are based on state law. This is known as diversity jurisdiction, and it is intended to prevent bias against out-of-state defendants in state courts.
EXAMPLE
If a citizen of Texas sues a citizen of California in a contract dispute, and the claim is for more than $75,000, the case could be heard in federal court under diversity jurisdiction. This type of jurisdiction is governed by 28 U.S.C. § 1332 (28 U.S. Code § 1332 - Diversity of Citizenship; Amount in Controversy; Costs, n.d.).Federal courts also have exclusive jurisdiction over certain matters, meaning that only federal courts can hear these types of cases.
EXAMPLE
Cases involving bankruptcy are only under federal court jurisdiction (Bankruptcy Cases, 2020).State courts can hear most types of cases, except for those cases over which federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. State courts, as outlined by Jurkowski (2017), primarily handle:
One area where subject matter jurisdiction becomes complex is in cases involving both state and federal law. You might remember that these are concurrent jurisdiction cases, in which both state and federal courts have the authority to hear the case. A plaintiff can choose to file the case in either federal or state court, depending on the nature of the legal claims. However, defendants may have the right to remove certain cases filed in state court to federal court, provided the case meets the requirements for federal jurisdiction. Removing a case is often used in diversity jurisdiction cases where a defendant fears that a state court might be biased in favor of an in-state plaintiff (The What, When, How, and Why of Removing to Federal Court Before a Defendant Is “Properly Joined and Served,” 2024).
Personal jurisdiction involves the court’s authority over the individuals or parties involved in a legal dispute. It ensures that a court has the legal right to require a defendant to appear before it. For a court to exercise personal jurisdiction, there must be a sufficient connection between the defendant and the location of the court, which is often based on the defendant’s residence, place of business, or where a specific action took place.
Personal jurisdiction is a component of fairness in legal proceedings. The U.S. Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment requires that courts exercise personal jurisdiction only when it is reasonable and just. This is commonly referred to as the requirement for “due process.” For a court to assert personal jurisdiction over a defendant, there must be sufficient “minimum contacts” between the defendant and the state, as established in the International Shoe case (Overview of Personal Jurisdiction and Due Process, n.d.). Minimum contacts could include activities such as:
Territorial jurisdiction refers to the geographic area over which a court has authority. Territorial jurisdiction becomes particularly important in criminal cases where the location of the crime can determine which court will prosecute the case.
EXAMPLE
A state court’s jurisdiction is generally limited to the boundaries of that state. Similarly, federal district courts have territorial jurisdiction over the districts in which they are located (Territorial Jurisdiction, n.d.).Venue refers to the specific location where a case is heard. Venue rules are intended to ensure that cases are tried in the most appropriate geographic location.
Appellate jurisdiction refers to the authority of a court to review decisions made by lower courts. Appellate courts do not conduct new trials but review records from the original trial court to determine whether legal errors were made (Cornell Law School, 2019). Recall from the last lesson that the original court has original jurisdiction because they heard the case first.
In the federal system, the U.S. Courts of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court have appellate jurisdiction over cases from district courts and state supreme courts. In the state court system, state courts of appeal and state supreme courts exercise appellate jurisdiction over trial court decisions.
One of the most significant aspects of appellate jurisdiction is the power of judicial review, which allows courts to invalidate laws and actions that are found to be unconstitutional. Judicial review was established in Marbury v. Madison (1803), and it ensures that the actions of the legislative and executive branches remain within the bounds of the Constitution (Cornell Law School, 2019).
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REFERENCES
28 U.S. Code § 1332 - Diversity of citizenship; amount in controversy; costs. (n.d.). LII / Legal Information Institute. www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/1332
28 U.S. Code § 1391 - Venue generally. (n.d.). LII / Legal Information Institute. www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/1391
Bankruptcy Cases. (2020). United States Courts. www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/types-cases/bankruptcy-cases
Constitution Annotated. (n.d.). U.S. Constitution - Article III | Resources | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress. Constitution.congress.gov. constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-3/
Cornell Law School. (2019). Original jurisdiction. LII / Legal Information Institute. www.law.cornell.edu/wex/original_jurisdiction
Cornell Law School. (n.d.). Venue. LII / Legal Information Institute. www.law.cornell.edu/wex/venue
Jurkowski, S. (2017, June). Subject matter jurisdiction. LII / Legal Information Institute. www.law.cornell.edu/wex/subject_matter_jurisdiction
Overview of Personal Jurisdiction and Due Process. (n.d.). LII / Legal Information Institute. www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan/amendment-5/overview-of-personal-jurisdiction-and-due-process
Territorial jurisdiction. (n.d.). LII / Legal Information Institute. www.law.cornell.edu/wex/territorial_jurisdiction
The What, When, How, and Why of Removing to Federal Court Before a Defendant Is “Properly Joined and Served.” (2024). Americanbar.org. www.americanbar.org/groups/litigation/resources/newsletters/mass-torts/spring2024-the-what-when-how-and-why/
United States Courts. (2024). Comparing Federal & State Courts. United States Courts. www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/court-role-and-structure/comparing-federal-state-courts
What Is Federal Question Jurisdiction? - FindLaw. (2024). Findlaw. constitution.findlaw.com/article3/annotation14.html
