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Simple English definitions for legal terms
federal court
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A quick definition of federal court:
A federal court is a type of court that is created by the United States Constitution or by federal law. These courts can hear cases that involve federal laws or disputes between people from different states. There are different types of federal courts, such as the U.S Tax Court, U.S district courts, Courts of Appeal, and the U.S Supreme Court. Federal courts follow federal precedent when dealing with federal law, but they must follow state precedent when the dispute does not involve federal law. It is important for federal courts to have the right to hear a case, or else the case must be sent back to state court or dismissed.
A more thorough explanation:
Federal Court
A court that has the power to hear cases related to federal law or disputes between citizens of different states. Federal courts include the U.S Tax Court, U.S district courts, Courts of Appeal, and the U.S Supreme Court. They may hear cases originally or through appeal.
- A case involving a federal law, such as a dispute over a patent or a violation of a federal regulation, can be heard in a federal court.
- A case between a citizen of California and a citizen of New York, where the amount in dispute is $100,000, can be heard in a federal court because it meets the diversity jurisdiction requirement.
These examples illustrate how federal courts have specific requirements for subject matter jurisdiction. They can only hear cases that involve federal law or meet certain criteria, such as diversity jurisdiction. This helps maintain the balance of power between the federal government and the states.
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