Now let's make a memory palace for the original jurisdiction rule. What is the general rule regarding Congress and original jurisdiction under Article III? GR: Congress cannot expand original jurisdiction. Under Article III, Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party. Here is what I'm thinking. An ambassador - a man in a suit with an American flag and one other country flag on his lapel, and minister - a preacher guy with an elaborate hat and robe, and a consul, and a outline of a state with legs. I don't know what a consul would look like here. Maybe the same as an ambassador, this will indicate their similar roles and make me wonder why there are two of the same. All of those people (and the state) will be standing in a hot air balloon. Congress will be franticly trying to inflate the balloon to indicate that they cannot expand original jurisdiction. The side with the ambassador has a limo with the same flag as the non American flag on the ambassador's lapel. The consul will be on the opposite with no limo. on the other side of the picture, where congress is inflating the balloon, there is the capitol building just on the side where congress is. See more