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What kinds of lawsuits do federal courts handle?

Federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction. This means that unlike in state courts where you can file almost any type of lawsuit, by law, federal courts may only hear limited types of cases. Article III of the United States Constitution gives federal courts this limited right.

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Jurisdiction and Venue: Selecting the Right Court

Determining the appropriate jurisdiction and venue in which to file a lawsuit can be like trying to figure out a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. Some jurisdictional requirements are fairly straightforward. However, because every state has its own set of rules on where to file a law suit, the process of deciding exactly where you should file a lawsuit will depend on the jurisdiction and venue requirements for your state, any other state involved in your controversy, and the individual facts applicable to your case.

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What types of cases do different state courts handle?

The kind of cases that a court gets to hear are determined by the ‘subject matter jurisdiction’ that the court has. A federal court has exclusive jurisdiction (i.e. is the only court that gets to hear) cases arising out of the US Constitution, as well as some other limited types of cases like bankruptcy cases and tax cases. Other than these limited excepts, state courts can handle pretty much everything else.

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