CivPro 3rd Parties

Question 1

Joinder

Answer 1

Fed. R. Civ. P. 20(a)(2) allows multiple persons to be joined as defendants if any right is asserted against them jointly, severally, or alternatively arising from the same transaction or occurrence, or if the case presents any question of law or fact common to all defendants.

Question 2

Impleader

Answer 2

allows an existing party to bring a third party into the lawsuit by alleging that the third party is or may be liable to the impleading party for some or all of another party’s claim against the impleading party. A typical impleader scenario is when a defendant seeks indemnity from a third party for the plaintiff’s claim against the defendant.

Question 3

Intervener

Answer 3

A party may intervene as a matter of right if it claims an interest in the subject of the case, and if disposing of the case may impair that party’s ability to protect its interests, unless the existing parties adequately represent the would-be intervenor’s interests. A court may allow permissive intervention if the intervenor’s claim or defense shares a common question of law or fact with the existing case.