In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
Bill of Rights
Seventh Amendment
Amendment VII · Ratified December 15, 1791
In brief
Preserves the right to a jury trial in most civil cases.
Amendment VII · Ratified December 15, 1791 · Part of the Bill of Rights
How often courts cite this over time
Court decisions citing this, by year.The marker is when it took effect. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
Landmark decisions
6 total- Chauffeurs, Teamsters, & Helpers Local No. 391 v. Terry · 494 U.S. 558 (1990)
Chauffeurs, Teamsters, and Helpers Local No. 391 v. Terry, 494 U.S. 558 (1990), was a case in which the United States Supreme Court held that an action by an employee for a breach of a labor union's duty of fair representation entitled him to a jury trial under the Seventh Amendment.
- Granfinanciera, S.A. v. Nordberg · 492 U.S. 33 (1989)
Granfinanciera, S.A. v. Nordberg, 492 U.S. 33 (1989), is a 1989 United States Supreme Court case in which the court held that, in general, the Seventh Amendment entitles a person who has not submitted a claim against a bankruptcy estate to a jury trial when sued by the bankruptcy trustee over an issue where the jury trial right attaches. The jury trial right attaches to all proceedings, even new ones created by Congress, as long as the proceeding involves issues that could have been heard by a common law court.
- Galloway v. United States · 319 U.S. 372 (1943)
Galloway v. United States, 319 U.S. 372 (1943), was a Supreme Court of the United States decision in which the Court determined that a directed verdict in a civil case does not deprive litigants of their right to a trial by jury in civil cases under the Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution. Galloway, the petitioner, had an "on and off" history with the Army and Navy.
- Beacon Theatres, Inc. v. Westover · 359 U.S. 500 (1959)
Beacon Theatres, Inc. v. Westover, 359 U.S. 500 (1959), was a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States dealing with jury trials in civil matters. The court held that where legal and equitable claims are joined in the same action, the legal claims must be tried by a jury before the equitable claims can be resolved.
- Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc. · 517 U.S. 370 (1996)
Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc., 517 U.S. 370 (1996), is a United States Supreme Court case on whether the interpretation of patent claims is a matter of law or a question of fact. An issue designated as a matter of law is resolved by the judge, and an issue construed as a question of fact is determined by the jury.
- Colgrove v. Battin · 413 U.S. 149 (1973)
Colgrove v. Battin, 413 U.S. 149 (1973), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled 5-4 that six person civil juries were constitutional.