Question

In legal proceedings, lower courts tend to have original jurisdiction

Answer 1

In legal proceedings, lower courts tend to have original jurisdiction, meaning they have the right to hear a case for the first time it has been presented in the legal system. The Supreme Court, for example, has mostly appellate jurisdiction, which means they generally hear cases that are appealed to them. However, there are a small number of cases in which they have original jurisdiction, legal cases argued between states, for example.

Answer 2

I believe the answer is: to hear a case first
The higher courts (appeal and supreme court) would only receive a case if it couldn't be settled by the lower court.
Which means that the lower court would become the place where all the cases were originally heard by the justice department.