Definition
Standing is the doctrine that decides who is entitled to bring a lawsuit in federal court. It flows from Article III, which limits the federal judicial power to actual cases and controversies. A party cannot ask a federal court to rule on a question simply because the party is interested in the answer or believes the law is being violated; the party must show a genuine personal stake in the outcome.
The Supreme Court distilled the modern test in Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife in 1992. A plaintiff must demonstrate an injury in fact that is concrete and particularized, a causal connection showing the injury is fairly traceable to the defendant's conduct, and redressability, meaning a favorable ruling would likely remedy the injury.
Why it matters
How it works
Standing is assessed at the start of a case and must persist throughout it. If the plaintiff fails any of the three elements, the court dismisses the suit for lack of jurisdiction without reaching the merits. The injury must be actual or imminent rather than speculative, and it must be the plaintiff's own injury rather than a third party's. Standing therefore operates as a gatekeeper: it does not say who is right, only who may ask the court to decide.