Federal Courts handle which types of cases?

• A. They handle cases involving federal laws, maritime laws, and interstate disputes.
• B. Only cases arising within one state.
• C. Only criminal cases.
• D. Only administrative law matters.

Answer: (B)

Federal courts have jurisdiction defined by the Constitution and federal statute, so they handle cases that involve federal questions, the U.S. government or its agencies, and specialized areas like admiralty, bankruptcy, and patent or copyright law. They also hear disputes that cross state lines or involve citizens of different states (diversity jurisdiction). By contrast, many cases that arise solely under state law and within one state stay in state courts. So the idea that federal courts only handle cases arising within one state isn’t accurate; federal courts are designed to address matters involving federal law or cross-state issues, not just intra-state matters.