Courts Commons^™

Place Of Trial Of Civil Cases, William Wirt Blume

Michigan Law Review

Places involved in a study of place of trial may be classified in various ways. The most general classification is: (1) Places within one sovereignty, (2) Places in different sovereignties. Where there is choice of place within one sovereignty, the only rational basis for making the choice is convenience-convenience of the parties, jurors, witnesses, and of the court itself. The same is true when the choice is between courts of different sovereignties, but without cooperation between the sovereignties rational choice may not be possible. The purpose of this discussion is to compare choice of place in England before 1800 with …

A Brief Survey Of The Jurisdiction And Practice Of The Courts Of The United States (5th Ed.), By Charles W. Bunn, Charles E. Clark

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review. A Brief Survey Of The Jurisdiction And Practice Of The Courts Of The United States, 5th Ed. By Charles W. Bunn, Ivan C. Rutledge

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Federal Courts--Third-Party "Practice--Some Jurisdictional Problems Arising Under The Amended Federal Rules Of Civil Procedure, Effective March 19, 1948, Chester Lloyd Jones S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Third-party practice as originally adopted by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure was one of the bolder steps in the direction of integrated and complete litigation of all phases of a transaction. One of the principal problems that was forseen by the commentators and that has in fact developed in the cases is the jurisdictional limitation of the federal courts where no federal question is involved, and jurisdiction depends on diversity of citizenship or alienage. Rule 82 is explicit in stating that the Rules should be interpreted so as not to extend or limit the jurisdiction of the district courts. …

Federal Procedure-Obligation Of Federal Courts Under Erie Railroad V. Tompkins To Follow Decisions Of Lower State Courts

Washington and Lee Law Review

No abstract provided.

Constitutional Law-Federal Courts-Citizenship In The District Of Columbia As A Basis For Diversity Of Citizenship Jurisdiction, Samuel N. Greenspoon

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff, a District of Columbia corporation, sued defendant, a Nebraska corporation, in the Municipal Court of Chicago, Illinois. Defendant removed the case to a federal district court pursuant to the provisions of an amendment to the judicial code extending the jurisdiction of the federal courts to suits and controversies between citizens of the District of Columbia and citizens of any state or territory. From an adverse judgment defendant appealed, raising for the first time in the case the question of constitutionality of the amendment conferring jurisdiction. Held, the amendment is unconstitutional. Judge Evans dissented. Central States Cooperatives, Inc. v. …

Federal Courts - Rule 20 Of Federal Rules Of Criminal Procedure - Constitutionality, William Burnett Harvey

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Federal Courts-Forum Non Conveniens-Derivative Suits, Edward S. Tripp S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff, a resident of New York, and a policyholder in defendant Illinois corporation, brought a suit in the United States District Court in New York to force one of defendant's directors and another corporation to account to defendant for alleged waste of its corporate assets. Defendant moved for dismissal on the grounds that the suit would involve interference with the internal affairs of a foreign corporation, and that. the suit in New York would work great hardship, since the defendant would be required to transport many records and witnesses from Illinois to New York at great expense. The suit was …

Federal Courts-Forum Non Conveniens Applied In Negligence Action, Edward S. Tripp S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

ln a Federal District Court in New York, plaintiff, a resident of Virginia, sued defendant, a Pennsylvania corporation doing business in New York and Virginia, for negligent destruction of plaintiff's warehouse in Virginia. Defendant moved to dismiss on the ground that suit in New York would not be proper because neither plaintiff nor defendant was a resident of New York, the cause of action arose in Virginia, and because suit in New York would work great hardship on defendant since it would be unable to compel the attendance of material witnesses resident in Virginia, nor could it join, as defendant, …

Forum Non Conveniens In The Federal Courts

Indiana Law Journal

Federal Jurisdiction Note

Bankruptcy - Chapter X Reorganization - Power Of The Trustee To Sue In A Foreign Jurisdiction, Shubrick T. Kothe S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiffs, trustees appointed under Chapter X of the Bankruptcy Act, as amended, by the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, sued defendants in the District Court for the Southern District of New York to recover corporate assets, alleging a conspiracy to defraud the debtor corporation. Jurisdiction was rested, not upon diversity of citizenship, but upon sections 2 and 102 of the Bankruptcy Act, and certain sections of the Judicial Code, not pertinent here. The district court dismissed the action for want of jurisdiction. On appeal, held, reversed. The reorganization trustee under Chapter X may maintain an action …

Model Probate Code And Monographs On Probate Law: A Review, Russell Denison Niles

Michigan Law Review

The current volume in the Michigan Legal Studies, Problems in Probate Law: Model Probate Code, is an outstanding example of what can be achieved by the cooperation of a professional association and a well-financed and forward-looking law school. The Probate Division of the Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law of the American Bar Association initiated the project of preparing a model probate code and sponsored the project through to completion. The code is the Probate Division's proudest achievement. But the code would not have been possible without the Herculean labors of Professor Lewis M. Simes, Director of …

Historic Origins Of Admiralty Jurisdiction In England, Lionel H. Laing

Michigan Law Review

The process of the common law courts when resorted to by foreigners appears to have failed entirely to give redress. Arbitration and other treaties were tried without satisfaction. Finally, in 1337, Edward III found himself obliged to pay out of his own pocket for spoils committed upon Flemish, Genoese and Venetian merchants by his own subjects. This was no international gesture, for it was dictated by necessity, since the English monarch, engaged in a struggle with France, wished to retain the aid of his allies. It thus became urgent to suppress piracy, which was the plague of the Channel.

The Venue Of Probate And Administration Proceedings, Paul E. Basye

Michigan Law Review

With the division of each state into counties or districts and the creation in each such subdivision of some court for the probate of wills and the administration of estates, it became necessary to designate which of such courts should undertake these functions in a particular estate. It is not the purpose of this study to consider problems arising out of conflicts of jurisdiction as between states insofar as independent determinations of domicile of a decedent may be made. That a decedent died a resident of the state undertaking an administration upon his estate will be assumed; or, if he …

The Organization Of The Probate Court In America: Ii, Lewis M. Simes, Paul E. Basye

Michigan Law Review

It is the purpose of the discussion which follows to consider how far the court organization in typical jurisdictions is adapted to a differentiation between contentious and noncontentious business. The sharp differentiation in English law will first be pointed out. Then the probate judicial organizations of various typical states will be considered in connection with the questions: How far have they retained the distinction between contentious and noncontentious business emphasized in the English system which served as their model? How far have they developed a basis of differentiation unlike the English model? The answer to these questions will involve some …

The Organization Of The Probate Court In America: I, Lewis M. Simes, Paul E. Basye

Michigan Law Review

This is a study of contemporary American legislation concerning probate courts, with particular reference to their jurisdiction over the probate of wills and the administration of estates of deceased persons.

By the term "probate courts" is meant all judicial tribunals which exercise such jurisdiction. As will subsequently appear, they are otherwise variously designated as surrogates' courts, orphans' courts, prerogative courts, courts of ordinary and county courts. In one state all the functions of probate and administration are exercised by courts of chancery. In other states, chancery has concurrent jurisdiction over many of these functions. Sometimes the register of probate exercises …

Courts - Federal Courts - Diversity Of Citizenship Requirement - Persons Evacuated To Other States By Government Order, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiffs were United States citizens of Japanese ancestry domiciled in California. By order of the Western Defense Command, United States Army, they were removed to the Gila River Relocation Center, Arizona. Defendants were residents of California. After their relocation plaintiffs brought this action in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California "to terminate trust, for an accounting, and for appointment of a receiver," and jurisdiction of the federal court was based solely on allegations of diversity of citizenship. Held, action dismissed for want of jurisdiction. A person moving under legal or physical compulsion, from his …

Jurisdiction Of State Equity Courts

Indiana Law Journal

Notes and Comments: National Labor Relations Act

Federal Courts - Jurisdiction - Diversity Of Citizenship - Realignment Of Parties, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff, a New York corporation, was trustee under a mortgage deed to secure a bond issue executed by A, an Indiana corporation, in 1902. In 1906, B, an Indiana corporation, was formed, its franchise providing, inter alia, that after the expiration of twenty-five years, the company should be wound up and its property conveyed to C, the city of Indianapolis, subject to B's "outstanding legal obligations." In 1913, A leased all of its plant property to B for a term of ninety-nine years, B agreeing to pay as rental the interest on A's outstanding bonded …

Improper Venue Under The Federal Employers' Liability Act

Washington and Lee Law Review

No abstract provided.

Review Of Administrative Acts : A Comparative Study Of The Doctrine Of The Separation Of Powers And Judicial Review In France And The United States, Armin Uhler

Michigan Legal Studies Series

The present study was originally inspired by the widespread interest in the doctrine of the separation of powers stimulated by current discussions of vital problems of administrative law. Frequent reference to this doctrine occurs especially in recent legal literature concerned with the relation between the administrative and judicial departments of government. Particular mention may be made of the attention which has been given the doctrine by the Special Committee on Administrative Law of the American Bar Association. However, the allusions to the doctrine in these discussions to prevalent separation of powers in the organization of government have not always been …

Federal Courts - Review Of State Courts Decision Involving Federal And Nonfederal Ouestions, John C. Johnston

Michigan Law Review

In exercising appellate jurisdiction over federal questions raised in the highest court of a state, the Supreme Court of the United States has refused to adopt the view that the existence of a federal question in the record or decision of the state court will empower it to decide every other question that is raised in the case. Correlated to this refusal to review the nonfederal question is the further self-imposed limitation that where the decision of the state court rests upon a nonfederal ground sufficient in itself to support the judgment of the state court, the Supreme Court will …

Judgments - Declaratory Judgments - Availability To Alleged Infringers In Patent Cases, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

In addition to an injunction and an accounting, the prayer of the plaintiff requested a declaratory judgment to determine the plaintiff's rights in relation to a patent of the defendant. The petition alleged the plaintiff was importing and offering for sale a chemical called "Estradoil," and that the defendant had notified the plaintiff's customers that the chemical infringed the defendant's patent. A year prior to the action, the defendant had published a notice in a trade journal stating that a certain patent had been issued to it which covered the chemical known as "Estradoil," and that any use of the …

Jurisdiction Of Employee Suits Under The Fair Labor Standards Act, George W. Crockett Jr.

Michigan Law Review

The statutory authority for employee suits under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 is found in section 16(b). Suits under this section have been instituted in both state and federal courts. In practically every case the defendant has, by a motion to dismiss, challenged the jurisdiction of the court. The usual ground for the challenge in the state courts is that such suits seek to recover penalties incurred under a statute of the United States, and are, therefore, within the exclusive jurisdiction of the district courts of the United States. The jurisdiction of the federal district courts is generally …

Federal Courts - Jurisdiction Over Violations Of Civil Liberties By State Governments And By Private Individuals, Eugene Gressman

Michigan Law Review

The long-term security of civil liberties in the United States must in the end depend upon the spirit and attitude of the public. Many violations of these rights never reach the stage of justiciable issues. But even when they do, public sentiment is often reflected in the courts. Especially is this true in the state courts, which are often too near local prejudices and entrenched mores to withstand their effect. This situation was recognized as long ago as the Reconstruction Era, when the various civil rights acts provided for federal protection of civil liberties. Apparently it was felt that from …

Circuit Courts And The Nisi Prius System: The Making Of An Appellate Court, William Wirt Blume

Michigan Law Review

Judicial systems organized under the influence of the English tradition have exhibited a tendency to pass through four stages of development. (1) In the first stage the highest court (not taking into consideration legislative bodies) has final appellate jurisdiction and a superior original jurisdiction, civil and criminal. The court is composed of three or more judges who sit in bank for the trial of cases. The judges may sit at a central place or go on circuit throughout the territory. (2) In the second stage the highest court has both original and appellate jurisdiction but does not undertake to try …

Courts-Conflicting Jurisdiction Between State And Federal Courts

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Prohibition - Is The Writ Of Prohibition A Prerogative Writ?, Russel T. Walker

Michigan Law Review

The writ of prohibition originally issued from the king's temporal courts to the ecclesiastical courts to prevent any usurpation of jurisdiction of the king's courts by the spiritual courts. Prohibition has been classed as one of the prerogative writs, that is, a writ issued by the extraordinary power of the sovereign to interfere with private rights in order to preserve the prerogatives and franchises of the state. The writ of prohibition differed historically from the other prerogative writs in that its issuance was not discretionary with the court, but rather it was held to issue as a matter of right …

Courts - Federal Courts - Removal Of Causes - Amendment To Complaint After Removal Reducing Amount In Controversy To Less Than The Jurisdictional Amount, Robert E. Sipes

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff began his action for breach of contract in a state court of Indiana. On defendant's timely petition the suit was removed to the United States District Court. Plaintiff then amended his pleadings by filing particulars of his claim which reduced the amount recoverable below the jurisdictional amount. On a writ of certiorari it was held that the jurisdiction of the district court was not defeated by the amendment reducing the amount claimed to below the jurisdictional amount. Saint Paul Mercury Indemnity Co. v. Red Cab Co., 303 U.S. 283, 58 S. Ct. 586 (1938).

Federal Courts - Procedure For Determining Jurisdiction Ab Facto - Burden Of Pleading And Proof, Richard B. Maxwell

Michigan Law Review

Since the beginning of our government it has been recognized that the federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction. At an early date it was decided that because of this the plaintiff must state in his complaint the facts upon which the jurisdiction depended. The reason given in support of this rule, which is still the unquestioned law, is that there is no presumption of jurisdiction in courts which have only limited jurisdiction, but it is presumed not to exist unless its existence be shown upon the record. When the plaintiff sustained his burden of pleading the jurisdictional facts, his …