Civil Procedure Flashcards
What is supplemental jurisdiction and what are the rules?
-Tacking on state claims in federal court
-Claims must share a common nucleus of operative fact
-Must have diversity if its not a FQ unless its a crossclaim
What factors will a court look at when determining if they will exercise supplemental jurisdiction?
- state law claim is complex
- state law issues predominate
- claims that had smj has been dismissed
- other compelling reasons
Two types of personal jurisdiction
- General
- Specific
General personal jurisdiction
D can be sued for anything generally
- Consent (Express or Implied)
- Presence
-Continuous and systematic contacts
-Present in forum when served - Domicile
Specific personal juisdiction
minimum contacts
When must an objection to personal jurisdiction be raised?
In the first response (answer or motion) or it’s waived
Defendant may remove a case to federal court if:
- Federal court has SMJ
- All defendants agree
- No defendant is a resident of the forum state
- Removal is sought within 30 days of service/initial pleading
-Must file a proper notice of removal
-In a diversity case, unless P acted in bad faith, D may not remove after one year
REMAND
- Must do so within 30 days after removal or objection is waived
- Remand for lack of SMJ may be made anytime
Abstentation Doctrines
- Fed court may decline to hear a case if it would intrude upon another court’s power
- Fed court may stay a case to await resolution of ambiguous state law in a pending state court case
Venue is proper in any district where:
- Any D resides if all defendants in the same state
- Substantial portion of the claim occured
- If none of those work then anywhere the D is subject to PJ
Transfer to proper venue
If the case is filed in the wrong menu, a court may either dismiss or transfer. The law of the transferee court will apply
Transfer to a more appropriate forum
Court can transfer a case to another district for the convenience of the parties and witnesses and in the interest of justice. There still needs to be proper smj and pj.
Law of the transferor court will apply in this case
Forum non conveniens
court with proper jurisdiction and venue may dismiss a case where the interests of justice show that it should be litigated in a different forum.
How to serve a defendant
- Serve with a summons and copy of complaint: state law service methods where fed court is located or service is made
- Leave a copy at individual’s dwelling w/ someone of suitable age and discretion who lives there
- Process server must be over 18 and not a party to the case.
- Must serve within 90 days of complaint being filed
- If D waives formal service of process they get 60 days instead of 21 to answer
Erie Doctrine
Fed law: procedure
State law: substantive
When does a complaint need to be served by after its been filed?
90 days
When must an answer or complaint (response) be served? And when can it be amended?
within 21 days of receiving complaint, or 60 if waived. An answer can be amended once within 21 days
New Claims and relate back
When deadline to amend has passed or statute of limitations has passed.
to join a claim not originally asserted:
-relates back if pleading concerns same conduct, transaction, or occurrence
-If the plaintiff had included the new claim in their initial complaint, would it have been timely filed? If so, leave to amend, if not, no new claim allowed
Relate Back-New Defendant
new defendant: will relate back if
-concerns same conduct, transaction, or occurrence as original complaint
-the new party must have been aware of the lawsuit within 90 days of the initial complaint being filed.
-new party knew or should have known they would have been named originally
What are the factors that will be assessed when granting preliminary injunctions and TROs
- Likelihood of success on the merits
- Irreparable harm to movant (immediate for TRO)
- Harm to movant outweighs harm to non-movant party
- Injunction is in public interest
-TRO not usually to exceed 14 days
What must be raised in a pre-answer motion?
- Motion for a more definite statement
- Motion to strike
What must be raised in the first responsive pleading? (answer)
- lack of PJ
- insufficient process/service of process
- improper venue
- Affirmative defenses (statute of limitations, etc.)
What can be raised at any time?
- failure to join a necessary party
- judgment on the pleadings
- Failure to state a valid claim or defense
- Lack of SMJ (even on appeal)
When does a case become a class action?
- define class and class claims, issues, defendants
- Appoint class counsel who must fairly and adequately represent the interests of the class
- AIC exceeds 5 mil
- Will not be practical to have individual cases
- Minimum diversity
Counterclaims
Permissive: Really anything
Compulsory: same transaction or occurence
-can’t bring a counterclaim if the statute has run when the P’s original complaint was filed
Cross-claims
same transaction or occurrence, not compulsory and can be brought later. MUST be filed with the answer or as an amendment
- Are the issues of fact and law the same?
- Would same evidence support?
- Is there a logical relationship between the claims?