Standing
Definition
Standing is the constitutional requirement that a plaintiff show a concrete, particularized injury that is traceable to the defendant's conduct and likely to be fixed by a favorable ruling, before a federal court will hear the merits of their case. Without standing, a court dismisses the case regardless of how strong the underlying legal argument is.
Why it matters
Standing decides who is even allowed to challenge a law or government action in federal court, which means a policy can be arguably unconstitutional and still go unchallenged for years if no one concretely harmed by it is willing or able to sue. It is frequently the first, and sometimes only, issue a court actually rules on.
Seen in the wild
The Supreme Court's 1992 decision in Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife established the modern three-part test for standing: injury in fact, causation, and redressability, a framework courts still apply in every case.1