Rules of Civ Pro Flashcards
when SOL starts in fed:
Fed- upon filing complaint
in diversity cases, go by state rule (ex: upon service of process)
how to serve process in state:
- 18yr+ and not a party to action may serve
- serve to D’s usual place of abode to suitable age/discretion residing there
- or serve to auth agent of D
- or by state rules
- P may request D waive service by mailing him a request
US D who doesn’t waive on request is liable for cost of service, unless good cause for failing to waive service
immunity from process
for parties, witnesses, attys who enter state for another action or are induced by fraud
district court may not extend time periods for:
renewed motion for judgment as a matter of law
motion to amend judgment
motion for new trial (28 days of entry of J)
motions for relief from judgment
preliminary injunction
party may seek prior to trial to preserve status quo
party must give adverse party notice and opp to be heard
temp restraining orders
- irreparable injury will occur before hearing on preliminary injunction, may seek to preserve status quo
- party must give adverse party notice, but court may grant without notice for 14 days if ALL:
- movant states irreparable injury if not granted
- movant certifies in writing efforts made to notify and reasons why notice shouldn’t be req
- movant provides security to pay any damage incurred by adverse party if court finds wrongful restraint
violating an injunction or restraining order
adverse party must have notice of TRO or injunction before held for violating it
what is a provisional remedy
- pretrial seizure of prop to secure satisfaction of judgment that may be entered.
- procedure by state law
- party must make prima facie case on underlying claim that prop will likely not be available after trial if relief not granted.
provisional remedy types:
- garnishment- ct order directing $ or prop in hands of 3rd p be seized
- attachment- another person’s prop is seized in accordance with write or judicial order to secure a judgment yet to be entered
- replevin- P takes possession and holds disputed prop during suit
complaint includes:
- grounds of fed J
- plausible (not just possible) claim showing entitled to relief
- demand for judgment for relief
- fraud or mistake stated with particularity
- time and place averments with specificity
- special damages with specificity
pre-answer motion is what? name the types:
By D before responding to pleading
- motion to dismiss
- motion for more definite statement- for a more definite statement before responding to vague pleading
- motion to strike- any insuff defense, or redundant, immaterial, or scandalous matter
motion to dismiss, defenses:
D may file and raise any/all defenses:
- lack of SMJ
- lack of PJ
- improper venue
- insuff process
- insuff service of process
- failure to state a claim upon relief can be granted
- failure to join an indispensable party
- 1 may be raised until all appeals exhausted
- 2-5 must raise on D’s first motion or answer (whichever first) or D waives defenses.
- 6-7 may be raised any time before/during trial
failure to state a cause of action =
motion for SJ
answer includes:
- specific denial/admission of each part of complaint (or general denial with specific admissions)
- without knowledge = a denial
- failure to deny = admission
- must state D’s affirmative defenses, if any
answer timeline
- D must answer within 21 days of service
- D waiving formal service- 60 days after request for waiver mailed
- pre-answer made- court may say a time or 14 days after denial/postpones pre-answer motion.
- motion for more definite statement- 14 days after service of statement
default
- notation in case file, no timely answer filed
- may be set aside by court
- court clerk req to sent all parties notice of default
default judgment
- judgment entered against D who didn’t oppose case
- D appeared- D entitled to notice 7 days before hearing on application for default judgment
- D loses ability to contest liability but can contest amount of damages at hearing
compulsory counterclaims
- must be pleaded if arises from the same transaction or occurrence as P’s claim (or barred)
- fed gets sup J even if no fed question or diversity
permissive counterclaims
if it meets J req for filing a claim in fed court
reply
- P must reply to D’s answer if court orders P to file one
P not req to reply to affirmative defense (assumed 2. denied)
inconsistent claims or defenses
party may set unlimited alt claims or defenses, even inconsistent
how long to amend or supplement a pleading:
- within 21 days of service
- if pleading req responsive pleading- 21 days after service of responsive pleading or pre-answer motion
- after that, court may decide
amendment to change party, relates back to:
naming a new party, relates back to original pleading if within time for service, new party had suff notice of action to avoid prejudice and knew/should have that, but for a mistake concerning her identity, would have been named originally
amendments and supplements, relate back to:
amendment to pleading that arises from same conduct, transaction or occurrence in original pleading deemed filed on original pleading date
why is relating back to the original pleading important?
SOL
supplemental pleadings, relate back to:
require permission of court
Rule 11
fed civil cases-
- party, upon presenting any doc to ct certifies to best of their knowledge after reasonable inquiry:
- not presented for any improper purpose
- legal contentions are warranted by existing law, or nonfriv argument for modification of law, or new law
- allegations/facts have/likely to have ev support
- denials of facts are warranted on ev or reasonably based on lack of info/belief
sanctions- cts discretion
- ct may rais and enter order describing matter vio rule 11 and direct party to show why sanctions shouldn’t be imposed
- opp party may serve motion for sanctions and if party doesn’t withdraw/correct matter in 21 days, opp party may file motion with ct
- non $ or $ including atty fees
compulsory joinder
P must join all interested Ds or case dismissed
- should absentee be joined
- complete relief can’t be given in absences
- has interest in subject matter and decision will impact their ability to protect their interest
- leave any other parties subject to subs risk of incurring multiple or inconsistent obligations
- yes… ask 2
- can absentee be joined
- ct has PJ over absentee
- presence wouldn’t destroy SMJ or venue
- if presence would destroy SMJ or venue… ask 3
- if they can’t be joined, should action proceed?
- ct looks at extent of prejudice to parties/absentee
- extend prejudice can be reduced/avoided (shaping relief)
- adequacy of a judgment rendered without absentee
- whether party will have an adequate remedy if case dismissed for nonjoinder
permissive joinder
may join as P or D when:
- claim by each P v. each D relates/arises out of same series of occ or transactions
- and there is a question of fact or common law to all parties
still need complete diversity
each claim needs to satisfy J (multiple P may assert the 75k even if J over permissively joined Ps
joinder of claims
- p can join unlimited number/type of claims against D
- only 1 of the claims is req to arise of a transaction in which all Ps and Ds are involved
- diversity J- P may aggregate all claims against D to satisfy 75k J amount
- fed question claim- non fed claim can be joined only if part of same case/controversy of fed claim
class action, proper when:
- class so numerous joinder of all is impracticable
- questions of law or fact common to class
- named parties’ interests are typical of class
- named parties will adeq represent interests of absent members of class
- 1 of 3 present:
1. sep actions would create risk of inconsis results or impair interests of unnamed parties
2. D acted/refused to act on grounds applicable to class and injunctive or declaratory relief is appro for whole class
3. common questions of law or fact predominate over indiv issues and class action is superior to alt methods of adjudication
- req notice to all class members to opt out
- those that opt out and notify ct they don’t want to be bound not bound by judgment
Rule 23
class action
Court considers what factors in certifying a class?
- interest of indiv control
- extent and nature of litigation elsewhere on same subject
- desirability of a joint trial
- difficulties in managing class action
court must define class, class claims, issues, defenses, appoint class counsel
effects of class action
- all members of class bound
2. except those in common question class action that notify the court they don’t want to be bound
class action notice
- common question suit- notice to all in class required to opt out
- those that opt out and notify ct they don’t want to be bound not bound by judgment
- other class suits- notice determined by court
notice must state:
- nature of action
- definition of class
- class claims, issues, defenses
- binding effect of class judgement
class action jurisdiction
- diversity- only consider the named class rep’s citizenship
- named class rep’s claim alone must exceed 75k
- can aggregate if claims of parties are joint/common (rare)
- members with claims less than 75k may invoke supp J as long as diversity isn’t destroyed
court approval of class action dismissal/settlement
- notice of settlement must be given
- common question class action- ct req fairness hearing
- may provide 2nd opp to opt out
class action fairness act
- SMJ is est if:
- any class member is diverse citizen from any D
- aggregate class claims exceeds 5 million
- at least 100 members
- any 2 D may remove from state to fed, even if D is citizen of forum state
class action fairness act- when no federal ct
excluded actions:
- no fed ct J if primary Ds = states, state officials, other gov entities
- over class action solely involves claim under fed securities law
- over class actions that relate to internal affairs of corporation and based on laws of the state of incor
mandatory decline fed J, if ALL:
- +2/3 of Ps are citizens of state where action filed
- D from whom significant relief is sought is a citizen of that state
- principal injuries were incurred in state where action filed
- no similar class action filed within prior 3 years
may decline fed J, if ALL:
- 1/3-2/3 of Ps are citizens of state where action filed
- primary Ds are citizen of that state
- ct considers whether claim is matter of national interest,
- claim will be governed by state law
- state has distinct nexus with class members/harm/Ds
shareholder derivative suits, req
shareholder can sue to enforce right of corp (that those controlling corp refuse to assert if P proves:
- P was shareholder art time of transaction complained of or received shares after by operation of law
- actions is not a collusive effort to confer J on ct that would otherwise lack J
- P made demand on directors (and shareholders if req by state law) or why P made no demand, pleaded with specificity
jurisdictional amount- treat corp as P, damages suff by corp
venue- when corp could have sued same Ds (state of incorp)
diversity J- treat corp as the D to determine diversity