[RollChiefsRoll]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

FTR, so you don't get conspiracyminded, the federal jurisdictional requirements are set by statute. This isn't a gentleman's agreement, or an informal rule ginned up by the judges, or the bar. It's United States Code, ie, voted on by Congress.

Wouldn't be surprised if the $75K number isn't revisited and revised sometime relatively soon, as it's not nearly the money it was when enacted.

But yeah, the purpose is to keep small local matters out of federal court.
The entirety of the jursidictional requirement isn't just the dollar amount though. You also have to involve entities of different states [if they're both from the same state, it's entirely state business], and the matter has to be filed in a federal court that has a connection to the issue at hand [ie, can't file a federal suit in a federal court in California for a car accident that happened in Maine, etc.].

So like, take Tracy Morgan's accident. NY resident, extensively injured in NJ by a GA truck driver working for an INTL corp HQed in AR. Claim filed in US Dist Ct, Dist of NJ.

This guy paid attention in 1L civ pro.