Citation564 U.S. 915 (2011)Brief Fact Summary. Two American boys are killed in a bus accident in France and the boys’ parents try to sue an foreign American tire company subsidiary Synopsis of Rule of Law. A state court may not exercise general jurisdiction over a foreign defendant unless the defendant engages in continuous and systematic activities within the forum state. ...
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Grable & Sons Metal Products, Inc. v. Darue Engineering & Mfg.
Citation545 U.S. 308 (2005) Brief Fact Summary. Plaintiff sued under state law for sale of their property using a federal notice statute to challenge the sale claiming that service of the notice was improper. Both parties are Michigan citizens so bringing the case to federal court through diversity jurisdiction is not an option. Defendant removes to federal court and federal question jurisdiction is found to be proper. Synopsis of Rule of Law. If the action has a substantial federal component in actual controversy, and federal jurisdiction would not ...
Hanna v. Plumer
Citation380 U.S. 460 (1965) Brief Fact Summary. There was a car crash and Plaintiff sued Defendant, the executor of the decedent driver’s estate. Plaintiff brings case in federal court in Massachusetts. Plaintiff served Defendant through substituted service of process which was okay under FRCP 4 but not under Massachusetts law. Synopsis of Rule of Law. If a plaintiff serves a defendant properly under the FRCP the plaintiff can proceed with a state law claim that requires a different method of service for establishing liability. ...
Ingraham v. United States
Citation808 F.2d 1075 (5th Cir. 1987) Brief Fact Summary. The Government attempts to raise an affirmative defense post-trial after the judgements are entered in two cases where it was sued for medical malpractice. Synopsis of Rule of Law. Under FRCP 8(c) if affirmative defenses are not pleaded in a timely manner, they are waived. ...
Eisen v. Carlisle & Jacquelin
Citation417 U.S. 156 (1974) Brief Fact Summary. Plaintiffs, odd-lot traders, desire to be certified as a class and defendant challenges their certification. Synopsis of Rule of Law. Under FRCP 23(c)(2) individual notice must be issued to every identifiable class member whose names and addresses may be ascertained through a reasonable effort, and the plaintiff must initially bear the cost of providing this notice. ...
Erie R.R. Co. v. Tompkins
Citation304 U.S. 64 (1938) Brief Fact Summary. A Pennsylvania man is injured by a New York railroad company while walking along train tracks. Plaintiff believes federal law should apply because it would require Defendant to have higher duty of care, while the Defendant thinks Pennsylvania law should apply because it would lower their duty to Plaintiff and help their case. Synopsis of Rule of Law. A federal court sitting in diversity must apply state substantive law, whether statutory or common law. ...
Daimler AG v. Bauman
Citation134 S. Ct. 746 (2014) Brief Fact Summary. Argentinian plaintiffs bring suit in a California court against a German company, based on the premise that the German company is subject to general jurisdiction in California because that’s where one of its subsidiaries is headquartered. Synopsis of Rule of Law. A court can exercise general jurisdiction over a corporation if the corporation’s connections to the forum state are so continuous and systematic as to render the corporation “at home” in the forum state. ...
Walters v. National Association of Radiation Survivors
Citation473 U.S. 305 (1985) Brief Fact Summary. Veterans want to use attorneys in their benefits proceedings but are unable to obtain sufficient counsel because the government by statute caps attorney’s fees at $10. Synopsis of Rule of Law. The Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment does not grant veterans claimants the right to counsel in proceedings determining their VA benefits awards. ...
Turner v. Rogers
Citation564 U.S. 431 (2011) Brief Fact Summary. Man jailed for failing to pay child support and he brings a case for violation of his due process rights because he was not given state appointed counsel when he was faced with the possibility of incarceration. Synopsis of Rule of Law. The Due Process Clause does not require the right to counsel for an indigent person at a civil contempt hearing when there is a prospect of incarceration, but the court must have alternative procedural safeguards to determine when counsel should be appointed. ...
State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. v. Tashire
Citation386 U.S. 523 (1967) Brief Fact Summary. The insurance company that insured the driver of a car that collided with a Greyhound bus brough an interpleader action to require all of the plaintiffs to bring their claims in a single proceeding. Synopsis of Rule of Law. Using interpleader to confine litigation to a single forum is allowable if there are multiple claimants to the same fund and a stakeholder must acknowledge liability to one of the claimants. ...
Sanders-El v. Wencewicz
Citation987 F.2d 482 (8th Cir. 1993) Brief Fact Summary. Plaintiff sued police officers that injured him during his arrest. The first trial resulted in a hung jury and the second resulted in a verdict for Defendants. Synopsis of Rule of Law. When errors have a significantly prejudicial effect on the jury, the parties must be granted a new trial. ...
Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp.
Citation475 U.S. 574 (1986) Brief Fact Summary. Two companies sued over 20 other companies alleging conspiracy in violation of the Sherman Act. Defendant’s motion for summary judgement is granted and the plaintiff appeals. Synopsis of Rule of Law. To survive a motion for summary judgement A motion filed by a party for the court to make a determination without a full trial. Is granted if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and they are entitled to judgment as a matter of law. The court considers the facts in th ...
Martin v. Wilks
Citation490 U.S. 755 (1989) Brief Fact Summary. Birmingham attempts to use a consent decree from a case with Black firefighters to bind a subsequent case brought by white firefighters. Synopsis of Rule of Law. A judgement is only binding on the parties to a lawsuit and has no impact on the rights of a nonparty who was not joined even if they had the opportunity to do so. ...
Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc.
Citation517 U.S. 370 (1996) Brief Fact Summary. Markman sues Westview for patent infringement. During trial the interpretation of a complex term of art is decided by the judge instead of the jury to the dissatisfaction of the Plaintiff who appeals the ruling. Synopsis of Rule of Law. Because of the court’s training in complex issues and knowledge of written documents, it is competent to correctly, fairly, and uniformly make decisions relating to the interpretation of a term of art. ...
Marek v. Chesny
Citation473 U.S. 1 (1985) Brief Fact Summary. Plaintiff rejects a settlement offer and wins in trial but is awarded less than the settlement offer. Plaintiff attempts to get a higher amount post-trial to cover attorneys fees. Synopsis of Rule of Law. Under FRCP 68 a defendant is not responsible for attorneys fees incurred by the plaintiff subsequent to an offer of settlement when the plaintiff receives judgement less than the offer, even if the fees might normally be awarded pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1988. ...
Lassiter v. Department of Social Services
Citation452 U.S. 18 (1981) Brief Fact Summary. A mother is stripped of her parental rights and is not given the right to counsel in the proceeding. Synopsis of Rule of Law. Indigent persons do not have the right to counsel in parental rights cases. ...
Beacon Theatres, Inc. v. Westover
Citation359 U.S. 500 (1959) Brief Fact Summary. Plaintiff appeals a district judge’s ruling that an issue should be heard first in front of a district judge before being submitted to a jury. Synopsis of Rule of Law. Legal issues must first be resolved by a jury before the equitable issues can be resolved by a judge in cases where both legal and equitable issues exist. ...
Christian v. Mattel, Inc.
Citation286 F.3d 1118 (9th Cir. 2002) Brief Fact Summary. An attorney brought suit for a plaintiff for copyright infringement even when plaintiff’s creation was created well after the product that allegedly infringed on the copyright. Synopsis of Rule of Law. Counsel has a duty prior to filing a complaint to conduct a reasonable factual investigation and to perform adequate legal research that confirms whether the basis for the complaint are warranted by existing law or good faith argument for an extension, modification, or reversal or existing law. ...
Ashcroft v. Iqbal
Citation566 U.S. 662 (2009) Brief Fact Summary. Man detained after 9/11 attempts to sue the former U.S. Attorney General and FBI Director for the harsh conditions he faced during his confinement. Synopsis of Rule of Law. In order to survive a motion to dismiss under Twombly, a complaint must have non-conclusory facts that, if taken as true, state a claim that is facially plausible. ...
Shady Grove Orthopedic Associates v. Allstate Insurance Co.
Citation559 U.S. 393 (2010) Brief Fact Summary. After Galvez was injured in a car accident, she assigned her rights under her insurance policy to Petitioner. Respondent paid on the claim, but refused to pay statutory interest that had accrued on the payment. Petitioner sued Respondent on behalf of itself and a class of others to recover the unpaid statutory interest. The district court dismissed the lawsuit, and the Court of Appeals affirmed. The Supreme Court granted certiorari. Synopsis of Rule of Law. A Federal Rule that regulates procedure is ...
Grable & Sons Metal Products, Inc. v. Darue Engineering & Manufacturing
Citation545 U.S. 308 (2005) Brief Fact Summary. Grable’s property, which was seized by the IRS to satisfy tax delinquency, was sold by the IRS to Darue. Five years later, Grable brought an action in state court to quiet title to the property, alleging that the IRS sale was invalid because the way that notice of the sale was provided to it by the IRS (by certified mail) was not proper. Darue removed the case to federal court based on a federal question; i.e., interpretation of the notice statute in the federal tax law pursuant to which the sale was made. The district c ...
Swift v. Tyson
Citation. 41 U.S. 1 (1842) Brief Fact Summary. Plaintiff sued Defendant to enforce payment of a debt, transferred from a third party to Defendant. Defendant argued that, under New York common law, the debt was not enforceable because of fraud. Synopsis of Rule of Law. In cases before a federal court under diversity jurisdiction, the federal court may apply federal common law instead of the state common law. ...
Semtek International v. Lockheed Martin Corp.
Citation. 531 U.S. 497 (2001) Brief Fact Summary. Petitioner sued Respondent in California state court and Maryland state court. Respondent removed both cases to federal court and moved to dismiss the lawsuits. Synopsis of Rule of Law. A federal court, hearing a case under diversity jurisdiction, applies the laws of the state within which the federal court is located. ...
Parklane Hosiery Co., Inc. v. Shore
Citation. 439 U.S. 322 (1979) Brief Fact Summary. Respondent sued Petitioners for issuing a materially false and misleading proxy statement. Offensively relying on collateral estoppel, Respondent moved for partial summary judgment against Petitioners on the issues that had already been ruled against the Petitioners in a prior action with other parties. Synopsis of Rule of Law. By the discretion of the trial judge, plaintiffs may use collateral estoppel offensively in cases where a plaintiff could not easily have joined in the earlier action or where it woul ...
Marrese v. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Citation. 470 U.S. 373 (1985) Brief Fact Summary. Petitioners separately sued Respondent in state court after they were denied membership. Synopsis of Rule of Law. 28 U.S.C. § 1738 requires a federal court look to the state’s law regarding res judicata in order to determine if a matter litigated in that state may be relitigated in federal court. ...