To have jurisdiction, a court must have authority over the subject matter of the case and the court must be able to exercise control over the defendant, or the property involved must be located in the area under the court's control. The extent of the court's control over persons and property is set by law. Certain actions are transitory . They can be brought wherever the defendant may be found and served with a summons, and where the jurisdiction has sufficient contact with one of the parties and the incident that gave rise to the suit. They can be brought only in the county where the subject of the suit is located.
Venue refers to the county or district within a state or the U.S. where the lawsuit is to be tried.
The venue of a lawsuit is set by statute, but it can sometimes be changed to another county or district. Venue also may be changed for the convenience of witnesses.