• In federal court, a well-pleaded complaint must raise a controlling issue of federal law, or else the court will not have federal-question jurisdiction over the lawsuit. [Cases: Federal Civil Procedure 673; Pleading 48. C.J.S. Pleading §§ 116–124, 132–133.]
well pleaded complaint
An original or initial pleading that sufficiently sets forth a claim for relief — by including the grounds for the court’s jurisdiction, the basis for the relief claimed, and a demand for judgment — so that a defendant may draft an answer that is responsive to the issues presented.
