Under Article III of the U.S. Constitution, the "Judicial Power shall extend to all Cases…[and] to Controversies…" (Section 2, Clause 1). This is commonly referred to the "case or controversy" requirement, thus limiting federal courts to hearing cases in which there is an actual dispute between interested parties. Within this case or controversy requirement, this judicial power extends to cases in which the Court needs to interpret the Constitution, federal laws, treaties, and admiralty and maritime laws, as well as those cases which involve disputes between states, states and individuals not citizens of that same state, and citizens of diverse citizenship.

In this article, we’ll explore the jurisdiction of the United States Supreme Court. According to www.dictionary.com, jurisdiction is "the right, power, or authority to administer justice by hearing and determining controversies." Here, we’ll look at the original jurisdiction and appellate jurisdiction of the United States Supreme Court, and we’ll flesh both of those concepts out so that we have a clear understanding of the U.S. Supreme Court’s jurisdiction.

Next, we’ll break down the concept of original jurisdiction.