A genuine issue of law or controversy that can be originally adjudicated within a United States federal court because it concerns U.S Constitutional law, federal statutory law, a treaty, or international law.
According to the U.S Constitution, the presence of a federal question is one of several bases under which federal district courts may exercise their original jurisdiction to try a lawsuit.
If a suit brought in state court is found to include a federal question, it may be removed to federal court by any defendant.
Related terms:
- CIVICS
- Diversity jurisdiction
- Federal court
- Federal jurisdiction
- Federal preemption of state law
- Jurisdiction
- Subject matter jurisdiction
- 28 U.S.C § 1331
- 28 U.S.C § 1441
[Last updated in July of 2020 by the Wex Definitions Team]