Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in Virginia

Re: Filing a civil suit in Virginia

To file suit in VA, the first step is to find a VA lawyer. The VA courts are particularly difficult to navigate for pro se parties, so don't even try to do it without counsel.

As to filing in federal court, you can file there if that court has jurisdiction, which generally means either the claim arises under a federal law, or the parties are citizens of different states and the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000. Your lawyer can advise you on whether there is federal jurisdiction over your case and whether it makes more sense to go to state or federal court.