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CIVIL PROCEDURE CLASS 28

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Another review class will be held on Wednesday, December 5 at the usual class ... 'As a moth is drawn to the light, so is a litigant drawn to the United States. ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: CIVIL PROCEDURE CLASS 28


1
CIVIL PROCEDURE CLASS 28
  • Professor Fischer
  • Columbus School of Law
  • The Catholic University of America
  • November 29, 2001

2
ANNOUNCEMENTS
  • Another review class will be held on Wednesday,
    December 5 at the usual class meeting time (620
    to 810) in Room 211.

3
WRAP-UP OF LAST CLASS
  • We finished our study of personal jurisdiction by
    discussing a case applying International Shoes
    minimum contacts test, World Wide Volkswagen v.
    Woodson (1980)

4
WHAT WILL WE DO TODAY?
  • Learn about the venue requirement and the the
    federal venue statute
  • Learn about the common law doctrine of forum non
    conveniens
  • Learn about the transfer provisions in 28 U.S.C.
    1404 and 1406.
  • Hear oral argument on Practice Exercise 31
  • Time permitting, do some review problems.

5
Venue
  • What is venue and why is it required?

6
VENUE REQUIREMENTS ARE PURELY STATUTORY
  • What is the general federal venue statute?

7
VENUE IN FEDERAL DIVERSITY ACTIONS
  • Under 28 U.S.C. 1391, where can venue lie in a
    federal diversity action where the defendant(s)
    is/are natural person(s)?

8
MEANING OF RESIDENCE
  • Should residence for venue purposes be equated
    with domicile or citizenship for diversity
    purposes?
  • Compare ex parte Shaw, 145 U.S. 444, 447 (892)
    (dictum) with convenience rationale for venue

9
VENUE IN FEDERAL QUESTION ACTIONS
  • Under 28 U.S.C. 1391, where can venue lie in a
    federal question action where the defendant(s)s
    is/are natural person(s)?
  • How do the venue rules for federal question
    actions differ from diversity actions?

10
VENUE FOR CORPORATIONS
  • Where does venue lie if a defendant is a
    corporation?
  • What if the state, like Virginia or New York, but
    unlike Maryland, has more than one judicial
    district?

11
VENUE FOR ALIENS
  • Where does venue lie for alien defendants?

12
FORUM SELECTION CLAUSES
  • Parties may select a venue that is not a
    statutory venue by including a forum selection
    clause in a contract.
  • In Bremen v. Zapata, 407 U.S. 1, 15 (1972),
    Supreme Court held that federal courts sitting in
    admiralty should enforce such clauses absent
    showing that doing so would be unreasonable or
    unjust, or that the clause was invalid for such
    reasons as fraud or overreaching
  • Non-negotiable forum selection clauses have been
    enforced by the Supreme Court.

13
PIPER AIRCRAFT CO. V. REYNO (1981)
  • Landmark decision
  • Who is the plaintiff?
  • Who is plaintiff suing?
  • What is the cause of action?
  • Where does plaintiff bring the action?
  • Why does plaintiff choose that forum?

14
Piper Aircraft Co. v. Reyno
  • Wrongful death suit originally brought in
    Superior Court of California by Gaynell Reyno on
    behalf of 5 Scottish passengers
  • Defendants were Piper Aircraft Co. (aircraft mfr)
    (PA) and Hartzell Propeller Inc. (OH) (propeller
    mfr)

15
DEFENDANTS MOTIONS
  • Explain the strategies and procedural moves of
    defendants Piper and Hartzell. How did the case
    get from the state court in CA (where filed) to
    the federal court in PA?

16
FORUM NON CONVENIENS
  • What is forum non conveniens?

17
FNC For transfer to Foreign Forum or between
state judicial systems
  • 28 U.S.C. 1406(a) permits court to dismiss if
    venue has improperly been laid or if it be in
    the interest of justice, transfer the case to
    any district or division in which it could have
    been brought

18
IN THE U.S. SUPREME COURT
  • How does the majority rule in the U.S. Supreme
    Court? Describe Justice Marshalls reasoning in
    his majority opinion.

19
SIGNIFICANCE OF PIPER v. REYNO
  • This case extends to doctrine of forum non
    conveniens for use in an international context by
    adopting a lower threshold and by decreasing its
    deference to foreign plaintiffs choice of forum
    (takes nationality into consideration)
  • The foundation for any modern forum non
    conveniens analysis in an international context.
  • Decision has prompted continuing criticism

20
Scottish Legal System
  • See student webpage on my Spring 2001 Comparative
    Law site http//law.cua.edu/classes/comparative_l
    aw/grant/
  • See also Kevin F. Crombies useful site
    http//www.scottishlaw.org.uk/

21
PIPER Test
  • In applying the doctrine of forum non conveniens
    to a foreign plaintiff, Supreme Court essentially
    follows two steps it had articulated in Gilbert.
  • 1. Requires a suitable forum in another country
  • 2. Considers 4 factors or interests to determine
    which forum would best serve private and public
    interests
  • Unfavorable choice of law alone should not bar
    dismissal

22
LORD DENNING
  • Famous and long-lived English judge
  • As a moth is drawn to the light, so is a
    litigant drawn to the United States.

23
Attractions of U.S. Legal System For Foreign
Plaintiffs
  • Encouragement by U.S. plaintiffs bar for
    litigants to bring suit in U.S.
  • contingency fee arrangements
  • extensive pre-trial discovery
  • advantageous substantive law
  • availability of trial by jury
  • tendency for large jury awards

24
PRACTICE EXERCISE 31
  • CB p. 829
  • Oral argument on motion to dismiss for lack of
    subject matter jurisdiction by McGills Garage
    and Dale McGill

25
EXAM TIPS
  • Read questions carefully and remember to answer
    the question asked
  • Use IRAC form for each issue in question
  • Answer every question manage your time carefully
  • Get sufficient sleep the night before the exam.

26
FOR REVIEW CLASS - VERY-CLEAN HYPO
  • CB p. 834
  • Please prepare to discuss this hypothetical at
    the December 5 review class.
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