Civil Procedures Federal Rules and Statutes of SMJ and Supplemental Jurisdiction

Rule 12(b)(6)

Permits a defendant to request dismissal of a lawsuit because the plaintiff's complaint fails to state a legal claim upon which the court can grant relief

Rule 12(h)(3)

Requires the court to dismiss an action at any point in the litigation timeline if it determines it lacks subject-matter jurisdiction

Rule 14(a)

Authorizes a defendant to bring a third-party defendant (impleader) into the case who is or may be accountable to the defendant for all or part of the plaintiff’s claims against them

Rule 18(a)

Allows a party asserting a claim to join as many additional claims as they have against an opposing party, even if those claims are completely unrelated

Rule 26

Requires parties to meet at the outset of a case to arrange the exchange of information and mandates the automatic disclosure of certain categories of information

Rule 30

Governs depositions (taking witness testimony under oath), which lawyers view as the most effective discovery device.

Rule 33

Authorizes parties to send written interrogatories to other parties, though these cannot be used to obtain information from non-party witnesses

Rule 34

Allows a party to send requests to other parties for the production of documents (specified by category) or to enter land to inspect tangible things.

Rule 35

Authorizes a party to conduct a physical or mental examination of another party when their condition is at issue in the lawsuit; this intrusive tool requires a court order

Rule 82

Explicitly provides that the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure do not extend or limit the subject-matter jurisdiction of the federal district courts.

Rule 83

Authorizes judges in each federal district to adopt local rules to govern the specific details of practice within that district.

U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 (Necessary and Proper Clause)

Grants Congress the power to enact statutes regulating procedure in the federal courts, provided they do not contradict the Constitution.

U.S. Constitution, Article III, Section 2, Clause 1

Establishes the constitutional boundaries of federal judicial power, extending it to nine specific categories of "cases" and "controversies" (including federal questions and diversity of citizenship).

28 U.S.C. Section 1331

Grants federal district courts original jurisdiction over all civil actions "arising under" the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States (Federal Question Jurisdiction)

28 U.S.C. Section 1332(a)

Grants diversity jurisdiction over civil actions where the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000 (excluding interest and costs) and the dispute is between citizens of different states or a state citizen and a foreigner

28 U.S.C. Section 1332(c) (1)

Defines corporate citizenship, establishing that a corporation is a citizen of both the state of its incorporation and the state where it has its principal place of business.

28 U.S.C. Section 1338(a)

Grants federal courts exclusive jurisdiction over patent, plant variety protection, and copyright claims.

28 U.S.C. Section 1367

Governs supplemental jurisdiction

Section 1367(a)

Grants federal courts supplemental jurisdiction over related state-law claims that form part of the same Article III case or controversy (sharing a common nucleus of operative fact)

Section 1367(b)

Strips supplemental jurisdiction over certain claims by plaintiffs in diversity-only cases to protect the complete diversity requirement.

Section 1367(c)

Permits federal courts to decline supplemental jurisdiction based on discretionary factors (e.g., if the federal claim is dismissed early, or if the state claim is novel/complex or substantially predominates)

28 U.S.C. Section 1454(a)

Allows either party (plaintiff or defendant) to transfer (remove) patent, plant variety protection, or copyright claims from state court to federal court

28 U.S.C. Section 2201–2202

Governs declaratory judgments, allowing federal courts to declare the legal relationships of parties in an actual controversy and grant further necessary relief.

The Complete Diversity Rule

Requires that no plaintiff share state citizenship with any defendant.

The Domicile Test

Determines a natural person's state citizenship based on physical presence in a state plus the intent to remain there indefinitely.

The Principal Place of Business (Hertz Corp. v. Friend)

Establishes that a corporation's principal place of business under section 1332(c)(1) is the single location where its high-level officers direct, control, and coordinate operations (typically its corporate headquarters).

The Well-Pleaded Complaint Rule (Louisville & Nashville R.R. v. Mottley)

Requires that a federal question appear on the face of the plaintiff’s properly pleaded complaint; anticipated federal defenses or counterclaims do not create federal jurisdiction.

The Holmes Test

Dictates that a suit “arises under federal law” if the law that creates the plaintiff’s cause of action is federal.

The Smith Test

Establishes that a state-law claim can arise under federal law if the right to relief is directly linked to resolving a substantial, disputed federal issue.

The Gibbs Test (United Mine Workers v. Gibbs)

Holds that a federal court has the constitutional power to hear a state claim if it shares a "common nucleus of operative fact" with a proper federal claim.

The St. Paul Mercury Test (Legal Certainty Test)

Dictates that a plaintiff's good-faith claim for damages controls the amount-in-controversy requirement unless it is a "legal certainty" that the plaintiff cannot recover more than $75,000.

Claim Preclusion

Bars a party from suing a defendant again on the same claim once a court has rendered a final decision on the merits.

Issue Preclusion (Collateral Estoppel)

Precludes parties from relitigating factual or legal issues that were already actively litigated, decided, and necessary to a judgment in a prior action.