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For Monday, Aug. 25, please read the following material from the Yeazell text:
1. Pages 1-6. Background about Civil Procedure and personal jurisdiction.
2. Pages 59-64. Information about constitutional limits the “jurisdiction” of courts. Pay particular attention to the material on the Due Process Clause and the Full Faith and Credit Clause, since they will guide our understanding of personal jurisdiction (including the material for Monday). Additionally, please read both clauses in the Supplement, which includes relevant constitutional, statutory, and rule provisions.
3. Pages 65-75. This provides the venerable and difficult case, Pennoyer v. Neff. Pennoyer deals with two law suits. Please answer these questions before coming to class and be prepared to discuss your answers.
a. The first was a suit by a lawyer, Mitchell, against his client, Neff. Why and where
(in which court) did Mitchell sue Neff? What was the result of the litigation?
b. In the second lawsuit, Neff sues Pennoyer. Who is Pennoyer? Why and where
(what court) did Neff sue Pennoyer?
c. The second suit ultimately ends up determining whether there was in personam
jurisdiction, in rem jurisdiction, or quasi in rem jurisdiction over Neff in the first law
suit.
i. What does the court determine with respect to each? Why? For a discussion
of in personam, in rem, and quasi in rem jurisdiction, read note 4 on pages
73-74.
ii. The Court ends up deciding the case based on “two well-established
principles of public law respecting the jurisdiction of an independent State
over persons and property.” (see page 67). What are those two well-
established principles? What is the result if a court attempts to issue a
judgment without complying with these two principles?
iii. When and why is a judgment that has been entered by a court a “nullity,”
instead of valid? Does the Court determine that the judgment against Neff in
the first lawsuit was “valid” or “a nullity”?
iv. When is a prior judgment of a court entitled to full faith and credit, that is,
required to be honored by other states under the constitutional Full Faith and
Credit Clause (Art. IV, §1) or by the federal courts under the statutory Full Faith
and Credit statute (28 U.S.C. § 1738)? We can’t after all relitigate over and over
in the many American state jurisdictions and the federal courts, can we?
v. Having set up a system of personal jurisdiction, the Court then indicates that
there will be exceptions when personal jurisdiction will exist even if there is not
in personam, in rem, or quasi in rem jurisdiction. The Court discusses those
exceptions on pages 70-71. What are they?
vi. We will also discuss the problems in note 5, on pages 74-75.
For Wednesday, Aug. 27, please read the following:
1. Pages 75-79. “Mechanics of Jurisdiction.” Also, read very carefully Rule 12(b),(g), and (h). This is a difficult Rule to understand, but make every attempt to understand it before class. Be prepared to answer questions 1.a. to 1.e. We will also discuss 1.f, 2, and 3.
2. Pages 79-89. The International Shoe case is the important, “modern” personal jurisdiction cases. It changes some aspects of how we decide if there is personal jurisdiction. What changes does International Shoe make?
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