Legal Definitions - federal question jurisdiction

Federal question jurisdiction refers to the authority of a federal court to hear a case because the legal issue at its core involves a question of federal law, the U.S. Constitution, or a U.S. treaty.

In the United States, courts are divided into state and federal systems. Each system has specific types of cases it is authorized to hear, known as subject matter jurisdiction. Federal question jurisdiction is one of the primary ways a case can be heard in a federal court, even if the parties involved are from the same state.

For a federal court to have federal question jurisdiction, the plaintiff's original claim must directly arise from or depend on federal law. This means the lawsuit itself must be based on a right or a remedy created by the U.S. Constitution, a federal statute (a law passed by Congress), or a treaty. It's not enough for a federal law to simply be mentioned in the case; the federal issue must be central to the plaintiff's argument for why they are entitled to relief.

A key principle in determining federal question jurisdiction is that the federal issue must appear on the face of the plaintiff's well-pleaded complaint. This means the federal question must be part of the plaintiff's initial statement of their claim, not merely an anticipated defense that the defendant might raise. The court looks only at what the plaintiff is suing for, not at any potential counterarguments or defenses.

Here are some examples illustrating federal question jurisdiction:

• Example 1: Copyright Infringement

  Imagine a software developer, Sarah, discovers that a competing company has copied a significant portion of the unique code from her copyrighted application and is selling it as their own. Sarah decides to sue the competing company for copyright infringement.

  How it illustrates federal question jurisdiction: Copyright law in the United States is exclusively governed by federal statutes (like the Copyright Act). Any claim alleging copyright infringement is a claim that "arises under" federal law. Therefore, Sarah's lawsuit would be filed in a federal court, as it presents a federal question.

• Example 2: Civil Rights Violation

  A former employee, David, believes he was fired from his job because of his race, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a federal law prohibiting employment discrimination. David wants to sue his former employer for unlawful termination.

  How it illustrates federal question jurisdiction: David's claim for wrongful termination is directly based on a federal statute, Title VII, which creates a right to be free from discrimination and provides remedies for its violation. Because the very foundation of his lawsuit is a federal law, his case would fall under federal question jurisdiction and could be heard in a federal court.

• Example 3: Environmental Protection Challenge

  A local environmental group files a lawsuit against a manufacturing plant, alleging that the plant is discharging pollutants into a river in excess of the limits set by the federal Clean Water Act. The group seeks an injunction to stop the plant from further violations and to compel it to comply with the federal law.

  How it illustrates federal question jurisdiction: The environmental group's lawsuit directly challenges the plant's actions based on alleged violations of the Clean Water Act, which is a federal statute. The core legal question in the case is whether the plant has complied with federal environmental regulations. This makes it a federal question case, properly heard in a federal court.