Instructor: Katharine Van Tassel
Fall 2010

Key: T refers to the principal text, by Marcus, Redish and Sherman; FRCP refers to the federal rules of civil procedure (in the paperback volume); § refers to a section from title 28 in the United States Code (in the paperback volume); U.S. Const. refers to provisions in the U.S. Constitution (in the paperback volume); S refers to cases and materials other that problem sets in the photocopied supplement; PS refers to a problem set included at the end of the photocopied supplement.

I. THE CIVIL LITIGATION HIGHWAY

A. IN WHAT STATE(S) MAY A DEFENDANT BE SUED? PERSONAL JURISDICTION

-T666-78; PS12
U.S. Const. Amendment 14

-T682-93 [Do problems on p.692-93, n.3]

-T693-707
U.S. Const. Amendment 5; FRCP 4(k)

-T707-22; PS13

-T728-43

-T743-52

-752-59; 764-67

-T771-789

-T789-806

-PS14 and PS15

B. HOW DOES PLAINTIFF NOTIFY DEFENDANT THAT A SUIT IS FILED?
SERVICE OF PROCESS

-T807-816; PS16
FRCP 4

C. IN WHAT JUDICIAL DISTRICT(S) MAY A DEFENDANT BE SUED?
VENUE AND FORUM NON-CONVENIENS

-T816-17; S10-16
§§1391, 1404, 1406; PS15

-T824-36

D. IN WHAT JUDICIAL SYSTEM–STATE OR FEDERAL – MAY PLAINTIFF BRING SUIT? SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION, REMOVAL AND REMAND

1. Diversity of Citizenship Jurisdiction

-S17; T837-47; §§1332, 1359; U.S. Const.
Art. III, Sections 1-3

2. Federal Question Jurisdiction

-T847-867; §§ 1257, 1331

3. Supplemental Jurisdiction

-T869-77

-T877-86

-T886-898; §1367; PS16

E. WHOSE LAW DO THE FEDERAL COURTS FOLLOW IN DIVERSITY CASES? THE ERIE DOCTRINE

-T914-925; §1652

-S18; T932-37; T767-71

-S19 [read before reading Hanna]; T944-961; §2072(a), (b)

-S20-23; PS17