Federal courts have limited jurisdiction; whether a particular case belongs in federal court depends on the claims, parties, statutes, and procedural posture.

Federal trial courts

The federal judiciary’s court-structure overview describes United States district courts as trial courts in the federal system. Within constitutional and statutory limits, they hear civil and criminal matters that fall within federal jurisdiction, including stated federal questions and certain diversity-of-citizenship disputes.

Appeals are a different stage

A court of appeals reviews a district-court proceeding; it does not retry the case with new witness testimony or new evidence. The Supreme Court has defined jurisdiction and discretionary review rules of its own. A case can also raise state-law questions, federal-law questions, or both.

Questions to identify before assuming a forum

  • The parties’ legal citizenship or status, not merely a mailing address
  • The claims and statutes actually asserted
  • The court’s geographic district and any service or removal issue
  • The amount, deadlines, prior proceedings, and applicable procedural rules

The related North Carolina state-courts guide explains the separate state-court structure.

Source