Federal Jurisdiction

This course addresses the role of the federal courts in the U.S. system of federalism and separation of powers, as well as their role in the development of substantive federal law and constitutional rights. These roles are defined by both constitutional and statutory directives and limitations. Many of them implicate central themes of judicial supremacy and judicial review. The subjects likely to be covered include congressional control of the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the United States, lower federal courts, and state courts; the justiciability doctrines of standing, ripeness, and mootness; the nature of constitutional and statutory federal question jurisdiction; sovereign immunity; the abstention doctrines; and habeas corpus. The course is strongly recommended for students interested in pursuing a federal judicial clerkship and/or a career in litigation.