Civil Procedure Flashcards
Subject Matter Jurisdiction
a court’s competence to hear and determine cases of the general class and subject to which the proceedings in question belong:
Five most common congressional grants are:
1) Federal Question Jurisdiction
2) Diversity Jurisdiction
3) Supplemental Jurisdiction
4) Removal Jurisdiction
5) Legislative Jurisdiction
Presume does not have SMJ unless burden seeking it meets their burden
Cannot be waived
Can object to SMJ any time
Federal Question Jurisdiction
Art. III, Sec. 2 US Con.: federal judicial power shall extend to cases arising under the Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and, and Treaties or made under their authority
Original jurisdiction
State and Federal courts concurrent except where Congress has specified otherwise (patent law)
Federal Abstention
A federal court may abstain from hearing a case or stay the matter when
1) Resolution of a state-law issue by the state court would eliminate the need for the federal court to decide a federal constitutional issue
2) Avoidance of federal involvement with a complex state regulatory scheme or matter of great important to the state
3) state action involves punishment of an individual for criminal activity or for contempt of court, or imposition of a civil fine, and federal court asked to enjoin such activity
4) Parallel Proceedings that go beyond mere waste of judicial resources
Scope of Federal Question Jurisdiction
Generally - if cause of action in question expressed created by federal law, and federal law provides underlying right, it exists;
Right created when cause of action may fairly be implied and intended
If not explicit or express created, will apply over state law when
1) Necessarily raised
2) actually disputed
3) substantial AND
4) capable of resolution in federal court w/o disputing federal and state balance
Diversity Jurisdiction
Art. II Sec. 2 US Con.: Congress to extend federal jurisdiction power to controversies between citizens of different state and between a state or the citizens thereof, and foreign states citizens or subjects
Must exceed $75,000
Generally includes all matters that meet requirements EXCEPTIONS: probate matters and domestic-relations actions
Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act
suit may not be brought in federal or state court against a foreign state, unless exception applies
EXCEPTIONS:
1) engaging in a commercial activity
2) committing a tort in US
3)Seizing property in violation of international law
Complete Diversity
Requires complete diversity between opposing parties - no diversity if a plaintiff is the same state as any defendant;
EXCEPTIONS:
1) Interpleader - Federal Interpleader Act: only needs two adverse claimants of diverse citizenship to establish federal jurisdiction
2) Class Action Greater $5,000,000 - applies any member of P is diverse than any member of D
3) Multiforum Trial Jurisdiction Act 2002: civil action from a single accident where 75 natural persons have died in discrete location - only need sone P diverse:
a) D resides in a state and accident took place in other location
b) Any 2 D reside in different states
c) substantial parts of accident took place in different states
EXCEPTION: substantial majority P citizens of a single state of which primary defendants are citizens AND claims asserted will be governed by state law
Citizenship of Parties
Individual: domiciled in a state and a US citizen (domicile is where individual is present and intends to reside for an indefinite period) - only one
Corporations: citizen of every state and foreign state incorporated and principal place of business - may be citizen of multiple
Partnership: citizen of each state in which a member of its members is domiciled
EXCEPTION: treated as a class when appears that the representative parties will fairly and adequately protect the intersts of the association and its members
Domicile
where individual is present and intends to reside for an indefinite period
Can change when a person establishes a presence in the new place and manifests intent to remain there indefinitely
Incorporation
state in which the corporate entity is legally established
Principal Place of Business
question of fact; refers to the nerve center of the corporation - generally the location from which high level officers direct, control, and coordinate activates of the corporation
Partnerships Domicile
an unincorporated association is a citizen of each state in which each of its members is domiciled;
Exception: may be treated as a class when it appears that the representative parties will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the association and its member
Compulsory Counterclaims
Defendant against a plaintiff; generally a claim arising out of the same transaction or occurrence as the plaintiff’s claim
Will have supplemental jurisdiction
Same Transaction:
1) issues of fact and law in the claims are essentially the same
2) same evidence would support or refute the claims
3) a logical relationship between the claims AND
4) res judicata would bar a subsequent suit on either claim
Permissive Counterclaims
a claim arising out of a transaction unrelated to the plaintiff’s claim
Must meet the statutory jurisdictional amount requirement
Devices to Create or Destroy Diversity
1) Assignment of Claims: a legitimate assignment of a claim, assignee becomes the real party and its citizenship will be determinative
2) Failure to Name Indispensable Parties: cannot manufacture diversity by failing to join a nondiverse indispensable party
3) Voluntary Change of State Citizenship: party may voluntary change state citizenship after accrual of a cause of action, but before commencement of lawsuit, and can establish or defeat (must be genuine - like for if indefinite)
4) Substitution Versus Replacement of Parties:
Rule 25 - substitution party due to death or incompetence (does not have to satisfy diversity)
Replacement: must be replaced - wrong party named in complaint)
Supplemental Jurisdiction
may exercise over jurisdiction over additional claims over which the court would not independent have subject matter jurisdiction but that are so related to the original claim that additional claims form part of the same case or controversy
Test: arise out of a common nucleus of operative fact
Common nucleus of operative fact test
Same transaction or occurrence
Federal Question: subject matter jurisdiction over claims of federal question and additional claims that meet common nucleus of operative fact test
Diversity: applies to if have diversity claim
a) Permissive Joinder: additional claim asserted by the plaintiff must satisfy complete diversity (Does not $75k)
b) Counterclaim - may be asserted w/o additional proof; permissive must meet jurisdictional amount and complete diversity
c) Crossclaim - if smae transaction or occurence
Pendent-Party Jurisdiction
claims that involve the joinder or intervention of additional parties over which the court would not otherwise have jurisdiction if claims involving satisfy common nucleus-of-operative-fact test
Removal Jurisdiction
any civil action commenced in a state court that is within the original jurisdiction of a US district court may generally be removed by D to district court and division in which the state-court action is pending
Invoked by the D
Diversity the basis for removal - claim may be removed only if no defendant is a citizen of the state which the action is filed
Personal Jurisdiction
must be able to exercise judicial power over the persons or property involved in the case; governed by state statutes regarding jurisdiction and due process requirements of US Constitution
Defense must be raised:
1) pre-answer motion or
2) if no pre-answer motion is made, in the original answer or answer amended as a matter of course (without court permission)
Nationwide Personal Jurisdiction
Federal court has nationwide personal jurisdiction when authorized by federal statute (interpleader)
Bulge Provision
Federal court has personal jurisdiction over a party who is served within a US Judicial district and not more that 100 miles from the summons is issued
Federal Court Jurisdiction Rule 4(k)(2)
Three conditions:
1) plaintiff’s claims must be based on federal law
2) no state court can exercise personal jurisdiction over the defendant AND
3) exercise of jurisdiction must be consistent with US Constitution and alws (“minimum contacts” and notice required on D)
In Personam Jurisdiction
Power that a court has over an individual party; required whenever judgment is sought that would impose an obligation on a defendant personally
Basis for In Personam Jurisdiction
1) Voluntary Presence: served while in state voluntarily
2) Domicile
3) Consent: implied by untimely objection to personal jurisdiction or by express consent
4) Long Arm Statutes
5) Attachment: property located in state and belongs to D
Long Arm Statutes
statute that gives courts within state personal jurisdiction over out-of-state defendants
Most based on specific activities including driving on high ways, committing a tort, entering into contract, etc.
Due Process Met
1) Minimum Contacts -
2) Purposeful Availment
3) Specific and General Jurisdiction
4) Imputed Contracts
Due Process Requirements
deprivation of property by adjudication be preceded by notice and opportunity for a hearing appropriate to the nature of the case
Notice
Generally: constitutional test is what is reasonable under the circumstances
If known - automatically reasonably through
1) In-person delivery
2) registered mail
3) return receipt requested
4) Other statutory made for each state
Venue
which court among the courts having subject matter and personal jurisdiction is the proper forum for the hearing;
Generally: venue in federal proper where
1) a judicial district in which any defendant resides, if all defendants reside in the same state in which the district is located OR
2) judicial district in which a substantial part of the events or omissions on which the claim is based occurred or where substantial party of the property that is subject of the action is located
Change of Venue from Proper Venue
Generally can be changed for the convenience of parties and witnesses a district court may transfer any civil action to any other district where it might have been brought or to any district to which parties have consented
Diversity: court transfers, then district court is transferred must apply the law that would have been applied in the district court that transferred the case
Federal Question: the district court to which the case is transferred must apply the federal law as interpreted as the federal court of Appeals
Forum-Selection Clause: typically valid unless unreasonable and unjust or that the clause was invalid due to fraud or overreaching
Change of Venue from Improper Venue
Must be dismiss or if it be in the interest of justice, transfer the case to any district in which the case could have been brought; can be valid if no objected timely
Diversity: applies choice-of-law rules of state which located
Federal Question: anew court rules apply
Forum non conveniens
common law doctrine allows a court to dismiss an action even when personal and venue proper, if court finds the forum would be too inconvenient for the a parties and witnesses and another, more convenient venue is available
Erie Doctrine Federal Question
the federal substantive and procedural law will control, as well as federal common law