Amount in controversy (sometimes called jurisdictional amount) is a term used in United States civil procedure to denote a requirement that persons seeking to bring a lawsuit in a particular court must be suing for a certain minimum amount before that court may hear the case. For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... Civil procedure is the written set of rules that sets out the process that courts will follow when hearing cases of a civil nature (a civil action). These rules explain how a lawsuit or case may be commenced, what kind of service of process is required, the types of pleadings... Justiciability is a term used in civil procedure to describe whether a dispute is capable of being settled by a court of law. ... An advisory opinion, in civil procedure, is an opinion issued by a court that does not have the effect of resolving a specific legal case, but merely advises on the constitutionality or interpretation of a law. ... In law, standing is the ability of a party to demonstrate to the court sufficient connection to and harm from the law or action challenged. ... In law, ripeness refers to the readiness of a case for litigation; for example, if a law of ambiguous quality has been enacted but never applied, a case challenging that law lacks the ripeness necessary for a decision. ... In law, a matter is moot if further legal proceedings with regard to it can have no effect, or events have placed it beyond the reach of the law. ... In United States law, a ruling that something is a political question is a statement by a federal court, declining to rule in a case because: 1) the U.S. Constitution has committed decisionmaking on this subject to another branch of the federal government; 2) there are inadequate standards for... In law, jurisdiction refers to the aspect of a any unique legal authority as being localized within boundaries. ... Subject matter jurisdiction is a legal term used in civil procedure to indicate that a case must be entered in the proper court of law based on the nature of the claim. ... Federal question jurisdiction is a term used in the United States law of civil procedure to refer to the situation in which a United States federal court has subject matter jurisdiction to hear a civil case because the plaintiff has alleged a violation of the Constitution, laws, or treaties of... Diversity jurisdiction is a term used in civil procedure to refer to the situation in which a United States district court has subject matter jurisdiction to hear a civil case because the parties are diverse, meaning that they come from different states. ... Personal jurisdiction, jurisdiction of (or over) the person, or jurisdiction in personam is the power of a court to require a party (usually the defendant) or a witness to come before the court. ... Federal question jurisdiction is a term used in the United States law of civil procedure to refer to the situation in which a United States federal court has subject matter jurisdiction to hear a civil case because the plaintiff has alleged a violation of the Constitution, laws, or treaties of... Diversity jurisdiction is a term used in civil procedure to refer to the situation in which a United States district court has subject matter jurisdiction to hear a civil case because the parties are diverse, meaning that they come from different states. ... Federalism is a system of government in which power is constitutionally divided between a central authority and constituent political units (like states or provinces). ... The Erie doctrine is a fundamental legal doctrine of Civil procedure in the American legal system that stems from Supreme court Justice Louis Brandeis watershed opinion in 304 US 64 (1938). ... Sovereign immunity or crown immunity is a type of immunity that, in common law jurisdictions traces its origins from early English law. ... An abstention doctrine is any one of several doctrines that a United States federal court might (or in some cases must) apply to refuse to hear a case, when hearing the case would potentially intrude upon the powers of the state courts. ... The abrogation doctrine is a doctrine in United States constitutional law which permits the U.S. Congress to allow lawsuits seeking monetary damages against individual U.S. states, so long as this is usually done pursuant to a constitutional limitation on the power of the states. ... The Rooker-Feldman doctrine is a rule of civil procedure enunciated by the United States Supreme Court in two cases, Rooker v. ... Civil procedure is the written set of rules that sets out the process that courts will follow when hearing cases of a civil nature (a civil action). These rules explain how a lawsuit or case may be commenced, what kind of service of process is required, the types of pleadings... A lawsuit is a civil action brought before a court in which the party commencing the action, the plaintiff, seeks a legal remedy. ... A court is an official, public forum which a public power establishes by lawful authority to adjudicate disputes, and to dispense civil, labour, administrative and criminal justice under the law. ...

In federal courts

Diversity jurisdiction

In United States federal courts, the term currently only applies to cases brought under diversity jurisdiction, meaning that the court is only able to hear the case because it is between citizens of different states. In such cases, the U.S. Congress has decreed in Title 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a) that the court may only hear such suits where "the matter in controversy exceeds the sum or value of $75,000." This amount representes a significant increase from earlier years. The United States federal courts are the system of courts organized under the Constitution and laws of the federal government of the United States. ... Diversity jurisdiction is a term used in civil procedure to refer to the situation in which a United States district court has subject matter jurisdiction to hear a civil case because the parties are diverse, meaning that they come from different states. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ...

Congress first established the amount in controversy requirement when it created diversity jurisdiction in the Judiciary Act of 1789, pursuant to its powers under Article III of the U.S. Constitution. In that Act, the amount was $500. It was raised to $2,000 in 1887; to $3,000 in 1911; to $10,000 in 1958; to $50,000 in 1988; and finally to the current $75,000 in 1996. Judiciary Act of 1789 The Judiciary Act of 1789 (1 Stat 73) established the entire federal judiciary, which initially consisted of a Supreme Court of six judges, 3 circuit courts, and 13 district courts. ... Article Three of the United States Constitution establishes the judicial branch of the federal (national) government. ... 1887 is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ... 1911 was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

Federal question jurisdiction

Congress did not create a consistent federal question jurisdiction, which allows federal courts to hear any case alleging a violation of the Constitution, laws, and treaties of the United States, until 1875. At that time, such cases had the same amount in controversy requirement as the diversity cases. Congress eliminated this requirement in actions against the United States in 1976, and in all federal question cases in 1980. Federal question jurisdiction is a term used in the United States law of civil procedure to refer to the situation in which a United States federal court has subject matter jurisdiction to hear a civil case because the plaintiff has alleged a violation of the Constitution, laws, or treaties of... A treaty is a binding agreement under international law concluded by subjects of international law, namely states and international organizations. ... 1875 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

Aggregation of claims

Where a single plaintiff has multiple claims against a single defendant, that plaintiff can aggregate those claims - that is, add the amounts together - to satisfy the amount in controversy requirement. However, if a single plaintiff has small claims against multiple defendants, or if many plaintiffs each have small claims against one defendant, those parties may not aggregate their claims. The question remains open as to whether a court may join a plaintiff who does not have a sufficient claim to a case brought by another plaintiff who does have a sufficient claim.

In state courts

Each state has the power to set its own amount in controversy requirements for its own courts, but every state must offer some outlet for citizens to sue for violations of their rights, even if they are seeking no money.