Final answer:
The original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court applies to cases involving ambassadors, public ministers, consuls, and when a state is a party. These rare cases, which comprise less than 1% of the Court's workload, must be heard by the Supreme Court first.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cases that would most likely fall under the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court include matters involving ambassadors, public ministers, consuls, and cases in which a state is a party. The original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court is outlined under Article III of the U.S. Constitution, distinguishing that certain cases must be heard by the Supreme Court first, making it the court of first instance for these specific types of disputes.
This differs from the appellate jurisdiction, where the Supreme Court hears cases on appeal from lower courts. The original jurisdiction cases are quite rare, with less than 1% of the Court's caseload being original jurisdiction matters, highlighting the limited and specialized nature of scenarios in which the Supreme Court acts as a trial court.