Federal jurisdiction is one of the most, if not the most important, issue to address before filing a lawsuit. Federal Court is a court of limited jurisdiction. All sorts of cases may be filed in state court, but only three types of cases may be filed in federal court: (1) cases where the United States government is a party; (2) cases brought under federal law; and, (3) cases where the parties reside in different states and the claim is valued in excess of $75,000. If you do not meet these special requirements then the federal court does not have the “jurisdiction” to consider your lawsuit and the court will dismiss your lawsuit without considering your claims.