High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! In the law of the United States, diversity jurisdiction is a form of subject-matter jurisdiction in civil procedure in which a United States district court (the trial courts of general jurisdiction in the federal judiciary) has the power to hear a civil case where the persons that are parties are "diverse" in citizenship, which generally indicates that they are citizens of different states or non-U.S. citizens. (Corporations, as legal persons, may also be included). Diversity jurisdiction and federal-question jurisdiction (jurisdiction over issues arising under federal law) constitute the two primary categories of subject matter jurisdiction in U.S. federal courts.