← Legal Glossary
Eleventh Amendment
Definition
A constitutional amendment that prohibits federal courts from hearing lawsuits brought against a state by citizens of another state or foreign country. It has been interpreted broadly to reflect a deeper constitutional principle of state sovereign immunity that extends beyond its literal text.
Examples
- •Justice Gorsuch asked why NJ Transit did not rely on the Eleventh Amendment's text, which appears to directly address suits against a state by citizens of another state.