Venue is the geographic location (county in state court or district in federal court) where a lawsuit may be filed. Proper venue is usually determined by statute, and upon the filing of a lawsuit, the defendant may seek to transfer (move) the venue to a proper venue if it believes the plaintiff’s choice of venue is not a proper venue.

In Louisiana, venue refers to the parish where a lawsuit may be filed. The proper venue for a civil lawsuit is typically determined by the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure. Generally, a suit should be filed in the parish where the defendant resides or where the event that gave rise to the lawsuit occurred. For corporations, the venue is usually where their principal business establishment is located, or where they are doing business. If a defendant believes that the plaintiff has chosen an improper venue, they may file a motion for a venue change, known as a 'motion to transfer venue.' The court will then decide whether to grant the motion based on factors such as the convenience of the parties, the location of witnesses and evidence, and the interests of justice. In federal court, the venue is determined by the U.S. Code, which generally allows for a lawsuit to be filed where the defendant resides, where a substantial part of the events occurred, or where the property in dispute is located. Similar to state court, a defendant in federal court can also file a motion to transfer the case to a more appropriate district based on convenience and the interests of justice.