Question

Students receive a list of case scenarios and must determine:

Which court should hear the case

Whether the case involves original or appellate jurisdiction

Case Scenarios
A divorce dispute between two citizens in Georgia

A citizen claims their constitutional rights were violated

A robbery trial involving two residents of the same state

A business from Texas sues a company from Florida for $2 million

A federal law is challenged as unconstitutional

A person appeals a decision made in federal district court

Two states argue over water rights

A traffic violation

A citizen appeals a state supreme court decision to the highest court

A case involving a foreign ambassador

Student Task
Students create a three-column chart

Case Court Responsible Jurisdiction Type
Students must also write 1–2 sentences explaining their reasoning for three cases.

Check for Understanding (10 minutes)
Students answer the following questions:

What does jurisdiction mean?

What is the difference between original jurisdiction and appellate jurisdiction?

Which court is the highest court in the United States?

What types of cases do state courts usually hear?

What types of cases do federal courts hear?

Teacher reviews responses to ensure students understand the concept.

Exit Ticket (10 minutes)
Students respond to the following:

Identify one case that would be heard in state court.

Identify one case that would be heard in federal court.

Explain why jurisdiction is important to the judicial system.

Students should respond in 3–4 sentences total.

Answer 1

Here is a ready-to-use chart and supporting material for the class activity.

Case — Court Responsible — Jurisdiction Type
1. A divorce dispute between two citizens in Georgia — Georgia state family/divorce court (state trial court) — Original jurisdiction
2. A citizen claims their constitutional rights were violated — Federal district court (or state court; often filed in federal court) — Original jurisdiction
3. A robbery trial involving two residents of the same state — State criminal/county trial court — Original jurisdiction
4. A business from Texas sues a company from Florida for $2 million — Federal district court (diversity jurisdiction) — Original jurisdiction
5. A federal law is challenged as unconstitutional — Federal district court — Original jurisdiction
6. A person appeals a decision made in federal district court — U.S. Court of Appeals (federal circuit court) — Appellate jurisdiction
7. Two states argue over water rights — U.S. Supreme Court (original jurisdiction over disputes between states) — Original jurisdiction
8. A traffic violation — Municipal/county/state trial court — Original jurisdiction
9. A citizen appeals a state supreme court decision to the highest court — U.S. Supreme Court (if a federal question exists) — Appellate jurisdiction
10. A case involving a foreign ambassador — U.S. Supreme Court (original jurisdiction over ambassadors/public ministers) — Original jurisdiction

1–2 sentence explanations (three sample cases)
- Business from Texas sues a company from Florida for $2 million: This meets federal diversity jurisdiction because the parties are citizens of different states and the amount exceeds the statutory threshold, so the federal district court has original jurisdiction to hear the case.
- Two states argue over water rights: Disputes between states fall under the Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction, so the case is filed directly in the U.S. Supreme Court rather than in a lower court.
- A person appeals a decision made in federal district court: Appeals from federal trial courts are handled by the U.S. Court of Appeals (the circuit court) which exercises appellate jurisdiction to review legal errors from the lower court.

Check for Understanding (answers)
- What does jurisdiction mean?
Jurisdiction is a court’s legal authority to hear and decide a case, including authority over the subject matter and the parties involved.
- What is the difference between original jurisdiction and appellate jurisdiction?
Original jurisdiction means a court hears a case first and decides the facts; appellate jurisdiction means a court reviews the legal decisions of a lower court without retrying the facts.
- Which court is the highest court in the United States?
The U.S. Supreme Court.
- What types of cases do state courts usually hear?
State courts handle most criminal cases, family law (divorce, custody), probate, traffic violations, contract and tort disputes, and other matters under state law.
- What types of cases do federal courts hear?
Federal courts hear federal-question cases (constitutional issues, federal statutes), cases involving the federal government, diversity cases between citizens of different states when the amount exceeds the threshold, disputes between states, admiralty, and bankruptcy cases.

Exit Ticket (sample student response — 3–4 sentences total)
- One case that would be heard in state court: A robbery trial involving two residents of the same state would be tried in the state criminal court because it involves state criminal law.
- One case that would be heard in federal court: A Texas business suing a Florida company for $2 million would be heard in federal court under diversity jurisdiction because the parties are from different states and the amount exceeds the federal threshold.
- Why jurisdiction is important: Jurisdiction determines which court has the legal power to decide a case, ensuring cases are heard by the proper court with authority over the subject and parties, which protects fairness and the orderly administration of justice.

If you want, I can format this into a printable worksheet for students or provide three additional short-answer explanation prompts for classroom use.