Standing
Standing is a person's legal right to bring a case. In federal court it means a real injury, caused by the defendant, that a court order could fix.
Also called: Article III standing, standing to sue, injury in fact, legal standing
Standing is a person's legal right to bring a case. In federal court it means a real injury, caused by the defendant, that a court order could fix.
What it means
Standing is the legal right to bring a lawsuit. To sue in federal court, you have to show three things: a real injury that is specific to you, that the defendant likely caused it, and that a court order could likely fix it. Courts call the first part "injury in fact."
The Supreme Court says the injury must be concrete. Lost money and physical harm clearly count. Some harms that aren't physical or financial count too, such as reputational harm or an intrusion on privacy, because courts have long recognized them. But a company breaking a law is not enough by itself. In TransUnion v. Ramirez (2021), the Court held that every class member must have standing to recover individual damages.
Standing has to be shown for each claim and each type of relief, and it must last through the case. State courts apply their own standing rules, which can differ from the federal ones.
What it means for you
Standing can decide whether a case reaches a settlement at all. A company may ask a court to dismiss claims because no one can show real harm, which comes up often in privacy, data breach and "technical violation" cases. For you, standing usually shows up indirectly. Class definitions often track who was actually affected, such as people who received a breach notice, and some settlements pay more for documented losses. If you are not sure you are covered, compare your situation to the class definition and read the claim form's questions.
Example
Say a website is accused of breaking a privacy law by running a tracker. Two visitors sue. One says her browsing history was shared with an advertiser. The other can only say the tracker existed on the site. A federal court is more likely to find that the first visitor has a concrete injury. The second visitor may not, because a bare violation of the law is not an injury in fact.
FAQ
It is the rule in federal court that a plaintiff must have a personal stake in the case. That means a concrete injury, likely caused by the defendant, that a court order could likely fix. Without it, a federal court cannot hear the claim.
Not by itself in federal court. The Supreme Court has said an injury in law is not an injury in fact. A plaintiff generally needs real harm, such as lost money or an intrusion courts have long recognized, and state courts apply their own standing rules.
Related terms
Updated Oct 18, 2026. Plain-English definitions for general information — not legal or tax advice.