A federal court may hear a case against the United States only if:

• A. The plaintiff sues for any reason regardless of waiver.
• B. The defendant waives immunity during trial.
• C. The case involves only state law claims.
• D. A statute provides a waiver and defines the scope of claims.

Answer: (D)

Sovereign immunity means the United States cannot be sued unless Congress consents by statute. That consent must be found in a statute that both waives immunity and defines the kinds of claims that can be brought. So the federal court’s power to hear a case against the United States comes from a statute that explicitly waives immunity and sets the scope of permissible claims. The other options miss this key requirement: immunity isn’t waived during trial, and simply suing for any reason or bringing state-law claims doesn’t automatically allow suit against the U.S. unless a waiver statute covers those claims.