ERIE DOCTRINE

Question 1

Erie doctrine

Answer 1

The doctrine, derived from a U.S. Supreme Court case, under which a federal court presiding over a state law claim must apply the state’s common, constitutional, and statutory law, and choice-of-law rules, when deciding a substantive issue for which there is no controlling federal rule or statute

Question 2

Substantive issue

Answer 2

The type of issue that addresses legal rights and often is outcome-determinative, such as an issue pertaining to the elements of a particular claim or defense

Question 3

Procedural issue

Answer 3

The type of issue that addresses the judicial process and often concerns court rules and practices rather than the elements of a particular claim or defense