Erie Doctrine
What principle guides rejection of federal practices that undermine neutrality between forums?
A federal court refuses to apply a federal practice, even if labeled “procedural,” when doing so would encourage litigants to select the federal forum for strategic advantage or produce inequality between state and federal outcomes.
Who are parties whose liability is not contingent on the resolution of the action?
These absent parties do not need to be joined because the existing parties can receive complete relief, and the absent parties' rights or obligations will not be impaired.
What is the commonality requirement?
This requirement is met when a single question is capable of resolving an issue central to each class member’s claim, creating unity in how the dispute proceeds.
Who are reasonable jurors?
If this group of fact-finders could reasonably find for either party based on the record, summary judgment must be denied.
What is a final decision?
Appellate review normally becomes available only after the trial court reaches a decision leaving nothing further to be done except execute the judgment.
What is the inquiry used to decide whether a Federal Rule truly displaces state law?
Before deciding whether a Federal Rule governs, the federal court determines whether the federal directive and state law actually regulate the same issue in a way that prevents both from functioning together.
What condition must be present for impleader to be proper?
When a defending party seeks to add a newcomer whose potential responsibility arises solely from the defendant’s own liability to the plaintiff, the joinder aligns with third-party practice because the newcomer’s exposure is entirely derivative.
What is predominance?
This demanding requirement for damages classes insists that shared issues outweigh individualized issues, not only in number but in their practical importance to resolving the litigation.
What is the admissible-form requirement under Rule 56(c)?
Rule 56 permits the use of material that is not currently admissible so long as it can later be presented in a form that satisfies evidentiary rules, allowing courts to evaluate substance rather than form.
What are the Three Ps?
An appellate court will not address an issue unless it was prejudicial, properly preserved in the lower court, and presented on appeal.
What is the limited test that considers whether state law affects the outcome?
A federal court assesses whether substituting federal for state law would meaningfully alter the litigation's trajectory, while also considering whether this analysis alone might lead to forum shopping or inequitable administration.
What is the defect that bars a defendant from using Rule 14?
A proposed third-party claim is improper when the liability asserted against the newcomer exists independently of the defendant’s exposure to the plaintiff, revealing that the claim is unrelated to shifting responsibility for the underlying action.
What protects the autonomy of individuals in a Rule 23(b)(3) class?
A mandatory safeguard for one type of class, this procedure ensures absent members receive formal notice and can remove themselves from the action so they are not forced into binding litigation.
What narrow exception allows a court to disregard the nonmovant’s facts?
A court may disregard a party’s version of events only where the record so clearly contradicts it that no rational fact-finder could credit the narrative.
What is the collateral-order doctrine?
A narrow exception to the final judgment rule allows review of a non-final order only when the order is conclusive, separate from the merits, and would evade meaningful review if the appeal waited until the end.
What governs the choice of law when the dispute involves judge-made federal practices rather than codified rules?
When a Federal Rule does not apply, the court weighs federal judicial interests—like maintaining the integrity of federal procedure—against state interests in enforcing their own policy choices, producing a context-specific selection between legal systems.
What prerequisite must be satisfied before intervention can occur?
A court assesses the stage of litigation, the reasons for any delay, and potential prejudice to the existing parties when determining whether a nonparty may intervene—not because late intervention is always barred, but because fairness depends on context.
What is the adequacy requirement?
This requirement ensures that both the named representatives and class counsel possess the ability, commitment, and freedom from conflicts necessary to protect the interests of absent members.
What requirement governs affidavits and declarations at summary judgment?
Declarations and affidavits must reflect firsthand observation and competence to testify, ensuring that evidence offered at summary judgment is grounded in actual personal perception rather than speculation.
What is plain-error review?
An appellate court may correct an unpreserved error only when the error is obvious and affects substantial rights, ensuring limited intervention into cases lacking proper objection.
What constraint must a Federal Rule satisfy before it may supersede state law?
A Federal Rule may override conflicting state law only if it regulates procedure rather than altering legal rights, staying within statutory limits that prevent federal rules from modifying substantive entitlements.
What is the Rule 19(b) analysis determining whether litigation may continue without the absent party?
When a necessary party cannot be joined, the court must decide whether to proceed by evaluating the risk of prejudice, whether relief can be shaped to avoid harm, whether a judgment would be adequate, and whether fairness permits continuation “in equity and good conscience.”
What judicial review ensures a class settlement can bind absent members?
Before any resolution of a class action binds individuals who never appeared, the court must determine that the proposed resolution satisfies a three-part fairness standard evaluating the outcome’s fairness, reasonableness, and adequacy.
What motion uses the same standard as summary judgment but evaluates the full trial record?
Although this trial motion occurs at a different procedural stage, it employs the same substantive test as summary judgment by assessing whether a reasonable jury has a legally sufficient evidentiary basis to find for either side.
What is finality for claim preclusion purposes?
Even during an appeal, a judgment may still bar relitigation because it is considered sufficiently final to carry preclusive effect, preventing parties from restarting disputes.