Pleadings V Motions
A document that sets out claims or defenses (like complaint/answer)
What is a pleading
Power of a court to hear a type of case
What is subject matter jurisdiction
Court’s power over a defendant.
✅ What is personal jurisdiction?
The proper geographic location within a court system.
✅ What is venue?
A clause that can override ordinary venue rules because the parties agreed in advance where disputes must be litigated
✅ What is a forum-selection clause?
A request asking the court to do something (dismiss, compel, etc.).
What is a motion
Federal jurisdiction when the claim arises under federal law
What is federal question jurisdiction
Home base” jurisdiction over a defendant (individual’s home state; corporation’s main places).
✅ What is general jurisdiction?
Transfer for convenience (right venue but better place).
✅ What is transfer for convenience?
Jurisdiction based on being physically served in the forum while present.
✅ What is transient/tag jurisdiction?
The pleading filed by defendant responding to the complaint.
What is an answer
Federal jurisdiction when parties are from different states and amount is high enough
What is diversity jurisdiction?
Jurisdiction tied to the defendant’s contacts related to the lawsuit.
✅ What is specific jurisdiction?
Transfer when venue is wrong (court may transfer instead of dismiss).
✅ What is transfer for improper venue?
Getting sued in a forum because your product ended up there through someone else’s unilateral act is usually not enough without this.
✅ What is intentional targeting/purposeful direction toward the forum (not unilateral third-party movement)?
The motion that argues “even if everything you alleged is true, you still lose.”
What is a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim
You can’t waive this; court can raise it anytime.
What is subject matter jurisdiction
The constitutional standard: defendant’s contacts must make it fair to be sued there.
✅ What are minimum contacts + fair play and substantial justice?
Where did the events happen?” is a common way venue is satisfied.
✅ What is the district where a substantial part of the events occurred?
The rule idea: you can’t manufacture federal question by anticipating defenses.
What is the well-pleaded complaint rule?
The pleading that begins the lawsuit and states what happened + what you want
What is a complaint
In diversity, a plaintiff can’t destroy diversity by suing a co-citizen in the same state as plaintiff.
What is the complete diversity requirement?
Defendant voluntarily shows up and fights the case without objecting to PJ.
✅ What is consent/waiver of personal jurisdiction?
A clause in a contract selecting where disputes must be filed.
✅ What is a forum selection clause?
A case with only state-law claims can still be in federal court if the parties are diverse and this is satisfied.
✅ What is the amount in controversy requirement?