Constitutional law is the highest form of law in the land, which all other forms of law (statutes, administrative rules, etc.) must comply with. Constitutions can be changed, it does require more effort. To amend the Federal Constitution, a proposed amendment must pass both chambers of congress with a 2/3 vote and then be approved by 2/3 of the states. Statutes meanwhile can be generally changed simply by a majority vote of the legislature.
federal
In the US Constitution, the Article VI, Section 2, Supremacy Clause declares federal law supersedes state law if the two are in conflict, but it's inaccurate to say the "clause is used to determine if a state law conflicts with federal law." Any part of the Constitution that provides guidelines for a specific law, and applies equally to the state and federal government, may be used to make that determination; the Supremacy Clause simply states if a state law conflicts with federal law, the federal law prevails.
supremacy clause
constitutional law
Supremacy clause
Constitutional Law addresses questions of state and federal law that implicate rights afforded to an actor by the Constitution. Administrative Law deals with the protocols and practices of state-entities (TVA, IRS, FCC) in resolving issues that are brought to them.
Simply, if the case arises under federal statute or is a case of constitutional interpretation federal courts will have original jurisdiction.
There are laws with both Federal and State that are not constitutional laws.The system of law used in America today is much more Admiralty/Maritime law, not Common Law as it was originally intended by the constitution. Therefor Federal Laws are usually forced upon the STATE and the PERSONS who RESIDEthere.
Some would say federalism, or nationalism. Many, but not all, of the Marshall Court's decisions upheld the supremacy of federal and constitutional law over state law.
The short answer is that the United States Constitution is the law of the land, and any law, including state law, that is not consistent with the US Constitution is superseded by the US Constitution. There is something called the Supremacy Clause, which means that all inconsistencies between federal and state law must be resolved in favor of federal law, but then the lawyers and courts argue whether the federal law in question was intended to supersede and preempt, or to just add to state law. Is the state law really and truly inconsistent, or just a little. :) If state law says you can manufacture WIDGET A, for example, and federal law says you cannot, then federal law will control, because that is a direct conflict. But if state law says you can manufacture Widget A, and federal law says you can manufacture Widgets A, B and C, but you must comply with certain requirements, or you must manufacture them all together but not individually, then state law is not superseded...it is just ... clarified a bit, if you get my meaning.
Cases in federal court must involve federal law and since all federal law must be derived from the constitution then yes they do involve constitutional matters.
State law can be more detailed than federal law, but cannot conflict with federal law. Therefore, a state law cannot determine that a federal law is invalid. The state would have to, instead challenge the federal law as an unconstitutional intrusion on state rights.
The Constitution.