Strayer University

LEG 420 – U.S Court

Week 2 – Discussion
On the basis of your discussion preparation:
 Describe the hierarchy of the federal court system of the United States and what is meant
by subject matter jurisdiction.
 Discuss two requirements that allow for a case to be heard in federal court and explain
the power of judicial review.
 Provide the structure of your state court system and the subject matter jurisdiction for
each court.
Be sure to respond to at least one of your classmates’ posts. Join the discussion early and post
often.
Hello Professor and Class!

The US federal court system has three levels: district courts, Court of Appeals, and the Supreme
Court. The district court is the lowest level and hears both civil and criminal cases. The Court of
Appeals hears appeals from the district court and sets legal precedent for other cases. The
Supreme Court is the highest court, and its rulings are final. Subject matter jurisdiction refers to
the court's authority to hear a particular type of case based on the subject matter involved
(Weinstein-Tull, 2020). Federal courts only have jurisdiction over cases involving federal law or
the US Constitution. State courts can handle cases under state and federal law.
For a case to be heard in federal court, two requirements must be met: federal question
jurisdiction and diversity jurisdiction. Federal question jurisdiction requires that the case
involves a federal law or the U.S. Constitution, while diversity jurisdiction requires that the
parties in the case are from different states and the amount in controversy is greater than
$75,000. The power of judicial review allows federal courts to review and potentially strike
down actions taken by the legislative and executive branches if they are deemed unconstitutional
(James, 2023). This power is established through the landmark case Marbury v. Madison.
The Wisconsin court system consists of three levels: circuit courts, appellate courts, and the
Wisconsin Supreme Court (Hagedorn, 2023). Circuit courts have original jurisdiction over all
civil and criminal cases, while the appellate courts hear appeals from circuit courts. The
Wisconsin Supreme Court has both appellate and original jurisdiction over certain cases. Each
court has subject matter jurisdiction based on the specific types of cases they are authorized to
hear, such as family law, criminal law, or civil disputes (Hagedorn, 2023).
References

Hagedorn, B. (2023). The Administrative State and Separation of Powers in Wisconsin. HARV.
JL & PUB. POL’Y, 46, 323-323.

James, M. (2023). A Comparative Study of Judicial Review in Common Law and Civil Law
Jurisdictions. Available at SSRN 4492161.

Weinstein-Tull, J. (2020). The Structures of Local Courts. Virginia Law Review, 106(5), 1031-
1106.

The federal court system has the authority to hear cases outlined in the constitution and laws
enacted by Congress, including judicial review. I am not surprised that California has trial and
appellate courts, with the Judicial Council governing the state courts. I think that California's
superior courts have general jurisdiction, while limited jurisdiction courts have restrictions on the
cases they can decide.