Missouri has two federal trial courts

Missouri is split into two federal “districts.” Each district is a trial court. Where your case is filed decides which courthouse hears it.

If you lose in either district, the appeal goes to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. It sits in the same St. Louis building. It hears appeals from seven states: Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Which cases belong in federal court

State courts can hear almost any case. Federal courts can hear only certain kinds. For most people, a case gets into federal court in one of three ways.

• The case is about federal law. For example, a claim that a police officer violated your constitutional rights. Or a claim that your employer fired you because of your race or sex. There is no minimum dollar amount.
• The two sides are from different states. For example, a Missouri driver hurt by an Illinois trucking company. The claim must also be worth more than $75,000.
• The United States is the one you are suing. For example, you were hurt by a mail truck. Those claims go only to federal court, after a claim with the agency.

If the federal court has no power over the case, nothing else matters. The judge must dismiss it or send it back to state court. So that is the first thing we check.

How federal court feels different

The same dispute can play out very differently in federal court. Here is what you will notice.

• More detail up front. The lawsuit must lay out enough facts to show the claim makes sense. Vague claims get thrown out early.
• A firm schedule. The judge sets deadlines early. They change only for a good reason. In St. Louis, a typical case is expected to finish within 18 months.
• Early sharing of information. Each side must hand over key names, papers and damage numbers without being asked.
• Decisions on paper. Most requests to the judge are made in written briefs with short deadlines and page limits.

These rules do not favor one side. They reward the side that prepares early.

How we handle a federal case

At the first meeting, Harjot Singh Padda, JD checks three things. Can the federal court hear your case? Is it already there, or could it be moved there? What deadlines are running, including agency deadlines before any lawsuit? A missed deadline usually cannot be fixed later.

After that, Mr. Padda follows the federal rules step by step. The pages below explain each part in plain words.

Common questions

Related reading

• State court vs. federal court
• Civil lawsuits
• Business disputes
• Appeals in Missouri state courts