Joinder of Parties under Rules 19 and 24
The last two chapters analyzed the basic rules governing joinder of claims and parties in federal court. Under those rules, the plaintiff is generally “master of her claim.” She decides the initial shape of the lawsuit, by choosing who to sue and what claims she will assert against those defendants. Later, other parties may end up expanding the suit, by adding counterclaims or crossclaims. They may also bring additional parties into the case, by asserting third-party claims under Rule 14 or by adding parties to a counterclaim or cross-claim under Rule 13(h).