What term describes the jurisdiction of a court that has first call on a case?

The term that describes the jurisdiction of a court that has first call on a case is "Original Jurisdiction." This refers to the authority of a court to hear a case for the first time, as opposed to an appellate court, which hears cases on appeal from a lower court. Courts with original jurisdiction are the ones that have the first opportunity to examine the evidence and facts of a case, make determinations, and issue findings.

In the context of the legal system, this means that if a case is brought to a specific court that is designated to handle it from the outset—such as a trial court in a criminal proceeding—this court has original jurisdiction over the matter. This principle is critical in determining where a case should be filed and which court will hear it first. For example, many cases involving felonies are initiated at the district level, which is a court with original jurisdiction for such matters.