Federal civil litigation is, simply put, civil litigation that is held in federal court. Choosing the proper court for a particular legal matter is part of the job of your attorney. The term that refers to the proper court for a case is jurisdiction. Most initial civil cases will take place in the district (state) trial courts, with an appellate court having jurisdiction over the appeal, if any should arise. State courts have jurisdiction over their own state, but federal courts have jurisdiction over the entire nation. The Federal courts also have jurisdiction over the specialty courts, such as bankruptcy court, which is always a federal matter. Broader matters are typically heard by the federal courts. For example, if a landlord is suing a tenant for non-payment of rent, the matter would be handled in state court. However, if the tenant claims they are being discriminated against by the landlord because of race, that tenant could file a claim in federal court, since they would have a claim under the Fair Housing Act, which is federal legislation.