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Agenda for 14th Class

Agenda for 14th Class. Admin Handouts Name plates A Civil Action screening Tomorrow 7:30PM WCC 2004 Court visit Tuesday, November 19 Roughly 1:30-4PM, but keep all afternoon clear A Civil Action panel Probably Th 11/21 at 7 or 7:30 in WCC 2004 Fees in A Civil Action J oinder

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Agenda for 14th Class

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  1. Agenda for 14th Class • Admin • Handouts • Name plates • A Civil Action screening • Tomorrow 7:30PM WCC 2004 • Court visit Tuesday, November 19 • Roughly 1:30-4PM, but keep all afternoon clear • A Civil Action panel • Probably Th 11/21 at 7 or 7:30 in WCC 2004 • Fees in A Civil Action • Joinder • Class actions • Intro to subject matter jurisdiction

  2. Assignment for M 11/4 • Federal Question Jurisdiction • US Constitution Article III; 28 USC 1331, 1338, 1441(a)-(b) • FRCP 8(a)(1), 12(b)(1), 12(h)(3) • Yeazell pp. 191-206 • Summarize Louisville. • Your summary should include the answer to Yeazell. P. 199 Q1 • Questions on the next slide • Optional -- Glannon Chapter 4 • Diversity Jurisdiction • 28 USC 1332 • Please consult the amended version of 1332(a)-(c) in the handout • Yeazell pp. 207-21 • Yeazell Pp. 209 Q1, 3b, 4, • Suppose P is a citizen of Turkey, and D is a citizen of Egypt admitted to permanent residence in the US and domiciled in MA. P sues D in federal district court to collect a $100,000 debt. Is there federal jurisdiction? • Be sure to consider 28 USC 1332(a) both as it existed before 2011 (the version in your pamphlet), the current version of 1332(a) (the version in the handout), and the US Constitution, Article III, Section 2 • Can you see why 28 USC 1332(a) was amended in 2011? • Optional. GlannonCh 5

  3. Federal Question Jurisdiction Questions • Under the FRCP as it exists today • If plaintiff had drafted a “well pleaded complaint,” what would have been the key allegations of that complaint? • If plaintiff had drafted a well-pleaded complaint, what paper would defendant have filed in response? What would have been the key elements of that paper? • How would plaintiff have raised the unconstitutionality the Act of Congress which the defendant alleges prohibited giving the passes that the railroad gave the Mottleys? • If defendant’s answer had admitted that it had given passes to the Mottleys, but argued that they were invalid, what motion would the plaintiff have had to make in order to get the Court to grant the Mottleys the relief they requested without discovery or trial? • Yeazell pp. 199ff Qs 2, 3, 4b, • Under 28 USC 1441(a) & (b), if plaintiff had brought the two cases at issue in Yeazell p. 199 Q2 in state court, which of the two cases could defendant remove to federal district court?

  4. Assignment for T 11/5 • Supplemental Jurisdiction • Read 28 USC 1367 very carefully • Test for Supplemental Jurisdiction (handout) • Supplemental Jurisdiction Questions (handout) • Optional • Glannon. Ch. 16, 17

  5. Last Class I: Settlement • Factors encouraging settlement • High litigation costs • Risk aversion • All lower plaintiff’s minimum acceptable offer and increases defendants maximum offer • Factor discouraging settlement • Mutual optimism • Raises plaintiff’s minimum and/or lowers defendants’ maximum offer • Hard bargaining • Means that even if plaintiff’s min is lower than defendant’s max, parties may not reach a deal, because each is trying to hard to get terms favorable to it.

  6. Last Class II: Fee Shifting • Advantages of British Rule • Allows plaintiffs to bring meritorious (high probability) cases, even when litigation costs are high. See Example 11. • Discourages plaintiffs from bringing frivolous (low probability) suits. See Examples 15. • Disadvantages of English Rule • Public interest litigation to change the law may be deterred, because it has a low probability of succeeding, even though it is not “frivolous.” • Risk averse plaintiffs may not bring even meritorious suits. Example 14. • Because of the way the English Rule magnifies optimism, it may discourage settlement. See Example 16.

  7. Costs & Fees • A Civil Action • Given the settlement, how did they calculate how much Schlichtmann and the other lawyers received?

  8. Joinder • Rules start from assumption that suits may involve a single plaintiff suing a single defendant on a single claim • Multiple parties and claims are allowed ONLY if explicitly permitted by a rule • Proper joinder does NOT mean case properly in court, still need: • Personal jurisdiction • Subject matter jurisdiction • Venue

  9. Joinder of Claims Claim 1 Plaintiff Defendant Claim 2 • Joinder of claims always allowed. FRCP 18(a) • But judge can, in discretion, always sever. • Joinder is compulsory, if arises out of same transaction or occurrence • Not in FRCP, but part of res judicata • If related claim is brought in later action, defendant can have the case dismissed by raising the defense of res judicata

  10. Counterclaims (FRCP 13(a) &(b)) • Counterclaims are always allowed. FRCP 13(a) and (b) • Counterclaims are “compulsory” if they arise out of the same “transaction or occurrence” as the original claim. FRCP 13(a) • If compulsory counterclaim is not asserted, cannot be asserted in separate suit Original Claim Original plaintiff Original defendant Counterclaim

  11. Joinder of Parties Defendant 1 Plaintiff 1 Claim 1 Plaintiff Claim 1 Defendant Claim 2 Claim 2 Plaintiff 2 Defendant 2 Joinder of parties allowed, if claims arise out of the same transaction or occurrence AND there is a question of law or fact in common. FRCP 20 FRCP19 addresses compulsory joinder of “necessary parties,” but not part of this course

  12. Crossclaims Defendant 1 Original claim 1 Original plaintiff Crossclaim Original claim 2 Defendant 2 Crossclaims are allowed only if they arise out of the same transaction or occurrence as the original action. FRCP 13(g) Crossclaimant can join unrelated claim(s). FRCP 18(a)

  13. 3rd Party Claims Original claim Original Defendant 3rd party plaintiff Original plaintiff 3rd party claim 3rd party defendant • 3rd party claims allowed only if 3rd party plaintiff claims that 3rd party defendant is liable to 3rd party plaintiff for some or all of liability that original defendant may owe to original plaintiff. FRCP 14(a)(1) • Indemnity – Contract in which one party (e.g. parts supplier) agrees to reimburse another party (e.g. final manufacturer) for liaiblity (e.g. liability final manufacturer may incur to consumer) • Contribution – Part of tort law which allows jointly liable defendants to sue one another to apportion liability • Different from cross-claim, because 3rd party defendant wasn’t sued by original plaintiff

  14. 3rd Party Claims (cont.) Original claim Original Defendant 3rd party plaintiff Original plaintiff 3rd party claim 3rd party defendant • 3rd party plaintiff may join any claims it has against the 3rd party defendant. FRCP 18(a) • Plaintiff may assert claims against 3rd party defendant that arise out of the same transaction or occurrence • Then 3rd party defendant may then file counterclaims or cross-claims. FRCP 14(a)(3)

  15. Joinder Questions • Pp. 816 Q5 • Pp. 818ff. Qs 1-2

  16. Class Actions I • Class Action is super joinder device • Way of joining lots of plaintiffs (or defendants) • Single lawyer represents all • Consent from each plaintiff not required • “Class representative” is “named plaintiff” • Usually chosen by class lawyer • Advantages • Low cost as compared to lots of individual suits • Allows case to be brought where each plaintiff has stake that is too small to justify individual suit • But where, in aggregate, significant wrong has been done • Disadvantages • Class lawyer does not always act in interest of class • May be more interested in fees for self than in relief for class • Large magnitude of potential liability may “coerce” defendants into settling weak claims

  17. Class Actions II • Class actions must be “certified” • Plaintiff’s lawyer first brings regular (non-class-action) case on behalf of named plaintiff(s) • Plaintiff’s lawyer then petitions judge to certify class • Prerequisites for class action • 1. Numerosity. Class is so large that joinder (under Rule 20) is not practical. 23(a)(1) • 2. Commonality. There are questions of law or fact common to all class members. 23(a)(2) • 3. Typicality. The class representative(s) have claims which are typical. 23(a)(3) • 4. Adequacy. The class representative(s) can adequately represent class. 23(a)(4) • Technically about parties. • In reality, about class lawyers. • Also, no conflicts of interest. • 5. Case must fit into one of 23(b) categories • See next page

  18. Class Actions III • 23(b) categories • (b)(3). Primarily for money damages • E.g. mass tort • Common issues must “predominate” • Class action must be “superior to other available methods for fairly and efficiently adjudicating the controversy” • (b)(2). Injunctive or declaratory relief appropriate for whole class • E.g. desegregation, prison conditions • (b)(1). Risk of inconsistent litigation • E.g. limited fund or conflicting injunctions • Not very common • Interlocutory appeal of certification decision. 23(f) • Grant or denial • Discretionary with court of appeals

  19. Class Actions IV • Notice and Opt-Out. 23(c)(2) • Only (b)(3) requires “best notice that is practical under the circumstances” • Only (b)(3) requires the class members be given the opportunity to “opt out” • Settlement with court approval only. 23(e)

  20. Class Action Questions • Yeazell pp. 881ff. Qs 1, 2 • 1)BadCorpmanipulated the price of its stock by failing to disclose information that would cause share prices to fall. Would a class action alleging violation of federal securities law against BadCorp on behalf of all shareholders who purchased stock during the period when the information was being withheld be appropriate? • 2)  BadPharmsupplied blood to hemophiliacs, but failed to screen adequately for AIDS. As a result, many hemophiliacs in dozens of states got AIDS and some died. Would a product liability class action against BadPharm on behalf of all hemophiliacs who contracted AIDS as a result of contaminated blood be appropriate? 

  21. Introduction to Subject Matter Jurisdiction • Federal courts have limited jurisdiction • Can hear only cases allowed by Constitution and statute • 2 principle categories • Diversity • Plaintiff and defendant are citizens of different states • Complete diversity rules • No plaintiff is citizen of the same state as any defendant • Alienage • One party is US citizen, other party is foreign citizen • Federal question • Cases arising out of federal statute or constitution

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