SMJ - Supplemental Jurisdiction

Question 1

What is supplemental jurisdiction?

Answer 1

Supplemental jx gets claims without SMJ into an existing federal case THAT ALREADY INVOKES SMJ

SMJ gets cases into fed court; SJ gets claims into fed cases.

Question 2

What is required to obtain supplemental jx over a claim?

Answer 2

If the claim does NOT invoke SMJ but:
(a) Claim shares common nucleus of operative fact with existing claim that satisfies SMJ
* Claim must arise from same transaction/occurrence as underlying case

(b) IF existing claim invoked diversity jx only, no supplemental jx unless
* There are multiple plaintiffs, and one of their claims don’t meet amount in controversy requirement

COURT ALWAYS HAS DISCRETION TO DECLINE SUPPLEMENTAL JX

Note: Defendants and other non-plaintiffs CAN use supplemental jx (limitation doesn’t apply to them)

Essays: Always first do analysis of whether fed court has SMJ (foreign question/diversity) over each additional claim; if not, then do supplemental jx analysis.

Question 3

When does the limitation to supplemental claims apply?

Answer 3

When the existing claim in federal court invokes diversity jx and the claim is brought by a plaintiff

Does NOT apply if claim invokes foreign question jx or if claim is brought by defendant/non-plaintiffs or if there was multiple plaintiffs (but if an additional plaintiff destroys complete diversity, no supp jx allowed)

Question 4

When can court exercise its discretion to decline supplemental jurisdiction?

Answer 4

When state law is complex/state law issues predominate in case

If existing claim with federal SMJ is dismissed early in the case

Court can decline even if supp jx requirements are all met