Also known as: D.C. · DC
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A federal district that serves as the seat of the United States government and is subject to the exclusive legislative jurisdiction of Congress. The District of Columbia is treated as a state for purposes of many federal statutes and procedural rules that define the term state to include it.
Dustin Donovan, a lawyer practicing in the District of Columbia, receives certification as a specialist from an organization approved by the District of Columbia bar authority. He includes the certifying organization's name in his promotional materials and lists his contact information. A prospective client reviews the materials and decides to retain him based on the stated specialty.
Derek Douglas receives a signed presidential commission for a District of Columbia justice of the peace position. The Secretary of State refuses to deliver the document after a change in administration. Douglas seeks a court order compelling delivery of the commission.
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Dwight Dorsey serves as trustee of a pooled trust fund that includes assets from settlors in the District of Columbia. He publishes notice of an accounting in a local newspaper rather than sending individual letters to all beneficiaries. Several out-of-state beneficiaries later claim they never received adequate notice of the proceeding.
Damian Decker and his partner, both District of Columbia residents, obtain a marriage license from a District of Columbia clerk after a state court refuses to issue one in their home state. They later seek recognition of the marriage when moving for employment reasons.
Deanna Davenport, a District of Columbia resident, seeks an abortion at a local clinic after Congress passes a statute restricting the procedure in federal enclaves. She challenges the restriction on constitutional grounds in federal court.
Dakota Industries obtains a judgment against a nonresident debtor who owns land in the District of Columbia. The company attempts to attach the land through publication notice alone without personal service on the owner.
Many federal statutes and uniform acts explicitly define the term state to include the District of Columbia. This treatment allows the District to be treated equivalently to states for purposes such as jurisdiction, procedural rules, and substantive legislation.
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The Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause contains an equal protection component that prohibits grossly unreasonable racial discrimination by the federal government. This principle applies to federal institutions located in the District of Columbia, including schools and hospitals that impose racial segregation.
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Congress possesses authority under Article III to regulate the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and to direct particular categories of cases to designated lower courts, including the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, provided some federal forum remains available.
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The District of Columbia constitutes its own federal judicial circuit and maintains a dedicated United States District Court and Court of Appeals. Federal judges assigned to these courts exercise authority over cases arising under federal law within the District.
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…remedy to compel a Secretary of State to deliver a commission to which the party is entitled. A justice of the peace in the District of Columbia is not removable at the will of the President. At the last term, viz. December term, 1801, William Marbury, Dennis Ramsay, Robert Townsend Hooe, and William Harper, by their counsel…