Jurisdiction is set in law, constitutions, or case law. Some courts have overlapping jurisdiction, giving a person a choice of where to file an action. Exclusive jurisdiction means that only a particular court has authority to decide a case. An example of a court having exclusive subject matter jurisdiction is bankruptcy court. Only in a federal bankruptcy court can a person file a bankruptcy action.
State courts have no jurisdiction in bankruptcy cases.
General jurisdiction means that a court has the ability to hear and decide a wide range of cases. Unless a law or constitutional provision denies it jurisdiction, a court of general jurisdiction has authority to handle any kind of case. The Texas district-level courts are general jurisdiction courts. Limited jurisdiction means that a court has restrictions on the types of cases it decides. Texas' county-level courts, municipal courts, and justice of the peace courts are courts of limited jurisdiction because they can hear and decide only certain specific cases.