Deck 2 Flashcards
4(k)(1)(a)
Federal courts have personal jurisdiction to the extent that the corresponding state court would have.
Look to the state court and see what the state court can do. This includes the impact of long-arm statutes and 14A.
4(k)(1)(a) actual text
Serving a summons or filing a waiver of service establishes personal jurisdiction over a defendant: who is subject to the jurisdiction of a court of general jurisdiction in the state where the district is located
4(k)(1)(c)
There is personal jurisdiciton when authorized by congressional statute.
What do you need to pass 5th due process for sufficient minimal contact (JOP)?
Contact with the state as a whole.
Is tag jurisdiction constitutional?
Yes.
Steps for JOP?
1) See if within long-arm. 2) Check constitutionality (minimum contacts test).
Shaftner
1) Minimum contact test applies across the board to all exercises of jurisdiction (in rem and in personam). 2) Quasi in rem is unconstitutional in its traditional form.
Why is quasi in rem unconstitutional
There is a contact, tie, or relation but the claim doesn’t arise out of anything relating to the contact. We can only get constitutional jurisdiction in this context if it the contact is continuous, systemic, and substantial. For example, owning one piece of stock in a corporation in that state does not rise to this level.
What are property rights?
Property rights aren’t rights in property. They are rights that have to do with the relationship between the property and people. Not between property and the owner, but instead between the owner and others in regards to the use of the propery.
What is JOP about (Worldwide Volskwagon)
Court says JOP not just about fairness. Also about state sovereignty.
Why JOP unconstitutional in Worldwide VW?
Seaway (NY retail dealer) and Worldwide (NY regional distributor) did not purposely avail themselves such that they could reasonably anticipate having to defend in OK. All of there contacts in OK are not a result of their purpsoeful action.
Interstate federalism places limits on JOP even if
D suffers minimal or no convenience, even if state has strong interest in applying law, even if most convenient place for trial.
Is foreseeablility enough for JOP?
NO. For example, in WVW forseeable that car would be driven there, that accident would occur there, and that they would be sued there. But this isn’t enough. It needs to be forseeable that Ds conduct and connection with state are such that they will be hailed into court there. They have to reasonbly foresee that they will have to defend in the forum state. The have to forsee that there will be JOP there.
Legal rules tell them what to anticiapte.
What is the central idea for JOP?
It’s more than just notice. It is notice that D is subject to suit there and therefore can act to alleviate risk of litigation by getting insurance, passing on the cost, or if to risky, sever interaction with the state.
D needs to have measure of control over wehther or not they an be sued in the forum state.
Control is central idea here. If you want to avoid the laws of a state you should be able to do so. Purposeful availabment is a separeate, but also central idea.
together: Purposeful availement and reasonble anticipation.
Seaway Connection with OK and purposeful availment?
Not result of purposeful availment. They are selling cars in North Eat. Connection is resutl of Robinson’s driving there. They had no idea where the robinsons were driving.
What is necessary to meet PA/RA?
There needs to be a constitutional contact, tie, or relationship.
Hypo: Robinson’s live in OK. Order car from Seaway to be delivered to OK. Seaway delivers it there. JOP in OK?
Yes.
Gray v American Radiator. Stream of commerce JOP case. Titan to AR to Gray. JOP?
Yes. Titan might have more control to keep product from being sold in forum state. Titan has more notice that good will go into forum state. Stream of commerce vs Delta. This makes it seem more purposeful.
Calder (JOP)
Purpose without control. Still JOP. The most important thing of PA/RA is PA.
Satisfies PA/RA because their actions were expressly aimed at someone in CA and they knew it would be sent to CA. It doesn’t matter that they didn’t have control. They have purpose. The story is about CA. It is aimed at CA. CA is the focal point.
Hypo: Seaway in El Paso, people from NM come to buy car, go back to NM, accident in NM. JOP?
NO JOP if we go strictly by WVW. Rule and intuitions are at odds here.
What if Audi objected instead of constenting to JOP in original case?
Yes, JOP under general jurisdiciton. Already had a lot activity in the state.
X (PA) has trustee in DE. X moves to FL. Trustee continues to communicate with X in FL. X dies in FL. X’s children fight over trust. Under FL law, the trustee has to be a part of the case. JOP over DE trustee in FL?
NO. X hauled trustee into relationship in FL. Trustee didn’t engage FL. This is a case of control without purpose.
Purpose without control. JOP?
Yes
Control without purpose. JOP?
No.
Two parts of SJOP analysis
1) minimum contacts. 2) reasonablness.
Why no JOP in Asahi?
JOP would be unreasonable. Big burden to make Japanese company litigate in a distant and foreign legal system. CA has minimal state interst because it is between foreigners. Cheng Shin also doesn’t have a big interst in CA. Taiwan v Japan also brings in foreign relations. Don’t want state courts dealing with that when no other strong reason to be in CA.
But, 4-4 split on PA/RA.
Brennan: Putting something into stream of commerce is enough for PA/RA.
O’Connor: Wants a specific intent–just going through stream of commerce not enough (need to design product for state specifically, market it there, have employees there, etc).
JOP in McIntyre v NiCastro?
????
JOP in Goodyear Dunlop Tires Operation SA v Brown?
No.
Specific jurisdiction? NO. Tire not sold in NC so claim doesn’t arise out of or relate to any contacts that the 3 Ds might have with NC. Just because tires by those 3 sometimes end up in NC due to circumstances (not sold by them there isn’t enough. All that matters is that the specific tire that exploded wasn’t sold in NC.
General JOP? Court says D has to be home in the forum state to have general jurisdiction.
When is a corportation at home?
At home where they are incorporated and where they have principal place of business.
Ford Motor JOP?
General jurisdiction? Not in MT because Ford only at home in DE and MI.
Specific jurisdiction? Ford does have contact with MT. They sell cars, advertising, provides servicing, sells the exact same type of car in MT.
But Ford says contact didn’t arise out of or relate to the specific car.
Ford loses. There is JOP. Why?
Court focuses on relates to side. Says claim related to Ford’s purposely availed contact with MT.
It is fair, just and reasonable here. Ford can’t be surprised that they would have to defend in MT because they already have so much contact with the state. WA wouldn’t mind if MT took the case because everything happened in MT.
Bristol-Meyers Squib JOP? Mass action, all brought in CA state court.
JOP with respect to CA residents, but not non CA residents.
Some Ps had no ties to CA, but in Ford the P did have ties to MT.
Ford concurrence
Suggests that Ford Motor is the old presence from Pennoyer. MT has jurisdiction because of Ford’s big involvement in the state. “Relates to” makes it very close to general jurisdiction.
Rule 4, what are the four main ways that D can be served (given complaint + summons)?
1) Personal service (ex. handing it to them, or sufficiently high level employee of the Corp).
2) Substitute service (ex. Close relation, for Corp this would be serving an agent that has been appointed by the Corp to receive services), 3) waiver (you get 60 ays to file an answer if you waive after the request was sent to you while under normal circustamces you have 21 days. If you refuse to sign the waiver in bad-faith then you are liable for the costs of P in serving in accordance with more traditional form plus all fees incurred in trying to collect those costs).
4) Any additional way that the forum state allows service (even if in federal court in that state).
12(b)(4) and (5) impact?
They won’t get you out of the lawsuit. Court will just tell P to do it right.
Venue vs JOP
Both horizontal. But venue 1) Not a constitutional requirement. It is all statutory. 2) Congress’ way of allocating judicial business in a roughly proportional way across the disctrict courts. Aimed at efficiency plus convenience for Ds. 3) IN JOP we look at the state, but here we look at the judicial district.
1391(b)(2) transaction venue
There is venue in any judicial district where a substantial amount of activity that gives rise to the claim occurred.
Why venue in Bates?
The harm happened in NY where the letter was opened. Court says more than one place can have a substnatial amount of acivities or events.
Page 87
Practice problems
1391(b)(1) residential venue
There is venue if all Ds are residents of the forum state and 1+ D is a resident of the venue district.
Resident definition for purposes of venue?
Defined in 1391(c). For a natural person it is the jduicial district in which they are domiciled.
1391(c)(2) applies to states with only one district.
1391(d) also adds that a corporation is a resident of any judicial district that would have JOP if it were treated as a seperate state (does this apply to people too?)
Why tansfer instead of dismissal due to lack of JOP in Piper Aircraft v Reyno?
Ordinarily we dismiss isntead of transfering to a different court. Transfers here likely in order to keep the suits together because Piper transfered under §1404(a). No way to consolidate the suits if P refiles somewhere other than M.D. PA.
§1404(a) transfer
Allows transfer for convenience of parties and interests of justice. Used in cases where JOP is available where it is filed but there is a different forum that is a lot better. Strong presumption in favor of P’s choice of forum, especially if P brings the suit close to home and is a US citizen. Can only be transferred to another forum where it already could have been brought. Can only be trasnfereed from fed court to fed court.
Does motion to dismiss on the ground of forum non conveniens suspend obligation to file an answer until it is decided/postponed?
No.
Why is Piper Aircraft v Reyno dismissed on grounds of forum non conveniens
There is an alternative forum that is a lot better located somewhere in Scottland. Your dismissing, not transferring here, but dong so with the assumption that it will be refiled in the other court.
Forum being worse for P isn’t conclusive. It is just one factor, and not even one with substantial weight when you have foreigners suing. FNC dismissals are only way to stop foreign Ps from flooding US courts (apply private and public factors from Goldberg?).
No FNC dismissal if you can tranfer to the court (not applicable here).
Very routine for there to be conditions on FNC dismissal. In this case, conditioned on Ds waiving statute of limitations and consenting to JOP in Scotland.