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The Shadow Rules of Joinder
Brooklyn Law School BrooklynWorks Faculty Scholarship 2012 The hS adow Rules of Joinder Robin Effron Brooklyn Law School, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://brooklynworks.brooklaw.edu/faculty Part of the Other Law Commons Recommended Citation 100 Geo. L. J. 759 (2011-2012) This Article is brought to you for free and open access by BrooklynWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Scholarship by an authorized administrator of BrooklynWorks. The Shadow Rules of Joinder ROBIN J. EFFRON* The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provide litigants with procedural devices for joining claims and parties. Several of these rules demand that the claims or parties share a baseline of commonality, either in the form of the same "transactionor occurrence" or a "common question of law or fact." Both phrases have proved to be notoriously tricky in application.Commentators from the academy and the judiciary have attributed these difficulties to the context- specific and discretionary nature of the rules. This Article challenges that wisdom by suggesting that the doctrinal confu- sion can be attributed to deeper theoretical divisions in the judiciary, particu- larly with regardto the role of the ontological categories of "fact" and "law." These theoretical divisions have led lower courtjudges to craft shadow rules of joinder "Redescription" is the rule by which judges utilize a perceived law-fact distinction to characterizea set of facts as falling inside or outside a definition of commonality. "Impliedpredominance" is the rule in which judges have taken the Rule 23(b)(3) class action standard that common questions predominate over individual issues and applied it to other rules of joinder that do not have this express requirement. -
APPENDIX TABLE of CONTENTS. PAGES
APPENDIX TABLE of CONTENTS. PAGES. AppendixA is eight pages...........................................................................................1-8 Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One, April 18, 2018, decision. AppendixB is one page...................................................................................................9 Denial of the Petition for Rehearing. AppendixC is two pages..........................................................................................10-11 California State Trial Court, order. AppendixD is one page .................................................................................................. 12 July 18, 2018 Order denying Discretionary Review by the California Supreme Court. AppendixE is one page.................................................................................................13 And contains copies of Article VI, clause 2 and Title 28 U.S.C. § 1291. AppendixF is one page.................................................................................................14 And contains Title 28. U.S.C. § 1367 (d) and Supreme Court Rule 10. (b) and (c). State of California Court of Appeal Fourth Appellate District Division One Filed 4/19/18 Not to be publishedi Case no. D072560 in official reports. ] Lower court: San Diego County Superior Court case no.: 37-2016-00038660- CU-PT-CTL Jack R. Koch, Plaintiff and Appellant, V. A. Estrella, et al., Defendants and Respondents. Appeal from ajudgment and order of the Superior Court of San Diego County, Lisa C. Schall, Judge. -
GLOSSARY of LEGAL TERMS Ad Damnum
GLOSSARY OF LEGAL TERMS Ad damnum: The technical name of the clause in the complaint that contains a statement by the plaintiff of the amount of the damages he/she is claiming. Additur: The opposite of Remittitur. An increase in an award by the Judge done in the Court's discretion if he or she feel the Jury's judgment is inadequate. Adjudicate: To settle in the exercise of judicial authority; to determine finality. Admissions: Confessions, concessions, or voluntary acknowledgment made by a party of the existence of certain facts. Affiant: The person who makes and subscribes an affidavit. Affidavit: Sworn statement of a witness, which is verified by a Notary Public. Affirmative Defense: A defense that must be specifically pled by the defendant to be asserted at trial. If such a defense is not raised in the answer, it is waived. An example of an affirmative defense is contributory negligence, assumption of the risk, etc. Appellant: The party who takes an appeal from one court or jurisdiction to another in the interest of setting aside or reversing the judgment. Appellee: The party in a case against whom an appeal is taken, that is, the party who has an interest adverse to setting aside or reversing the judgment (some times called the respondent). Arbitration: Alternative dispute resolution in which the case is decided by an arbitrator or panel of arbitrators, usually experienced attorneys, former judges, or administrative law judges. The case is decided after an informal hearing. Arbitration is almost always binding. Assumption of the Risk: This is an affirmative defense. -
Examples of Meritorious Summary Judgment Motions
Examples of meritorious summary judgment motions By: Douglas H. Wilkins and Daniel I. Small February 13, 2020 Our last two columns addressed the real problem of overuse of summary judgment. Underuse is vanishingly rare. Even rarer (perhaps non-existent) is the case in which underuse ends up making a difference in the long run. But there are lessons to be learned by identifying cases in which you really should move for summary judgment. It is important to provide a reference point for evaluating the wisdom of filing a summary judgment motion. Here are some non-exclusive examples of good summary judgment candidates. Unambiguous written document: Perhaps the most common subject matter for a successful summary judgment motion is the contracts case or collections matter in which the whole dispute turns upon the unambiguous terms of a written note, contract, lease, insurance policy, trust or other document. See, e.g. United States Trust Co. of New York v. Herriott, 10 Mass. App. Ct. 131 (1980). The courts have said, quite generally, that “interpretation of the meaning of a term in a contract” is a question of law for the court. EventMonitor, Inc. v. Leness, 473 Mass. 540, 549 (2016). That doesn’t mean all questions of contract interpretation — just the unambiguous language. When the language of a contract is ambiguous, it is for the fact-finder to ascertain and give effect to the intention of the parties. See Acushnet Company v. Beam, Inc., 92 Mass. App. Ct. 687, 697 (2018). Ambiguous contracts are therefore not fodder for summary judgment. Ironically, there may be some confusion about what “unambiguous” means. -
Pleading State of Mind After Ashcroft V. Iqbal
Pleading State of Mind After Ashcroft v. Iqbal CAROLINE N. MITCHELL AND DAVID L. WALLACH The Supreme Court’s decision in Ashcroft v. Iqbal marks a welcome and significant stiffening of the federal pleading standard. This article explores the background of the case, the decision and its ramifications. The authors conclude that by requiring sufficient specificity and plausible allegations of misconduct or misfeasance in all civil actions, the Supreme Court has made clear that non-specific “notice” pleadings can no longer unleash costly litigation. n May 18, 2009, in a 5-to-4 decision in This welcome development makes it consider- Ashcroft v. Iqbal, the Supreme Court stiffened ably more difficult for plaintiffs armed only with Othe federal pleading standard under Rule 8 of vague factual allegations to launch expensive litiga- the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Iqbal contin- tion. At the same time, Iqbal raises difficult questions ues down the path set by the Court’s 2007 decision in about how to properly apply this new federal plead- Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly. It makes clear that the ing standard and complicates the calculus for plain- stricter pleading standard announced in Twombly ap- tiffs and defendants alike at the pleading stage of civil plies to all civil actions in federal court, not just to anti- cases in federal courts. trust or other complex cases, as many courts had held. Federal securities law claims have been subject to BACKGROUND a heightened pleading standard since the advent of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (“PSLRA”) Iqbal arose from the Federal Bureau of Investiga- of 1995. -
U:\Judgehovland\Law Clerks\Civil\Motions to Dismiss\Wilkinson V. Sbtwpd.Wpd
Case 4:08-cv-00087-DLH-CSM Document 118 Filed 05/25/10 Page 1 of 12 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NORTH DAKOTA NORTHWESTERN DIVISION Peak North Dakota, LLC, a Colorado ) limited liability company; Peak Energy ) Resources, LLC, a Delaware limited ) liability company, Jack Vaughn, Alex ) McLean, and Matt Gray, ) ORDER ) Plaintiffs, ) ) vs. ) Case No. 4:08-cv-087 ) Wilbur Wilkinson, Standing Bear ) Traders, LLC, a North Dakota limited ) liability company, and the Three Affiliated ) Tribes, Fort Berthold District Court, ) ) Defendants. ) _________________________________________________________________________ ) Wilbur Wilkinson, ) ) Third-Party Plaintiff, ) ) vs. ) ) Standing Bear Traders, LLC, ) a North Dakota limited liability company, ) and Margarita Burciaga-Taylor and ) Richard Howell, individually and ) d/b/a Standing Bear Traders, LLC, ) ) Third-Party Defendants. ) Before the Court is Standing Bear Traders, LLC (SBT) and Margarita Burciaga-Taylor’s (Taylor) “Motion to Dismiss Wilkinson’s Third Party Complaint or, Alternatively, to Abstain from Exercising Jurisdiction Over Wilkinson’s Third Party Complaint” filed on January 15, 2010. See Docket No. 83. Third-Party Plaintiff Wilbur Wilkinson (Wilkinson) filed a response in opposition 1 Case 4:08-cv-00087-DLH-CSM Document 118 Filed 05/25/10 Page 2 of 12 to the motion on March 10, 2010. See Docket No. 106. Taylor and SBT filed a reply brief on March 24, 2010. See Docket No. 108. Taylor and SBT filed a supplemental appendix on March 26, 2010. See Docket No. 111. For the reasons set forth below, the motion is granted in part and denied in part. I. BACKGROUND Peak North Dakota, LLC (Peak North) is a limited liability company organized under Colorado law and authorized to do business as a foreign limited liability company in North Dakota. -
What Is a Summary Judgment Motion? Notice for Parties Who Do Not Have a Lawyer
What is a Summary Judgment Motion? Notice for Parties Who Do Not Have a Lawyer A summary judgment motion was filed in your case. A summary judgment motion asks the court to decide this case without having a trial. Here are some important things to know. What is summary judgment? Summary judgment is a way for one party to win their case without a trial. The party can ask for summary judgment for part of the case or for the whole case. What happens if I ignore the motion? If you do not respond to the summary judgment motion, you can lose your case without the judge hearing from you. If you are the plaintiff or petitioner in the case, that means that your case can be dismissed. If you are the defendant or respondent, that means the plaintiff or petitioner can get everything they asked for in the complaint. How do I respond to a summary judgment motion? You can file a brief and tell the judge about the law and the facts that support your side of the case. A brief is not evidence and the facts that you write about in your brief need to be supported by evidence. You can file sworn affidavits, declarations, and other paperwork to support your case. An affidavit or declaration is a sworn statement of fact that is based on personal knowledge and is admissible as evidence. If you are a plaintiff or petitioner, you cannot win a summary judgment motion just by saying what is in your complaint. Instead, you need to give evidence such as affidavits or declarations. -
Attorney Case Opening Interpleader Complaint Disputed Ownership Fund 28:1335
Civil – Case Opening - Attorney April 2017 ATTORNEY CASE OPENING INTERPLEADER COMPLAINT DISPUTED OWNERSHIP FUND 28:1335 An equitable proceeding brought by a third person to have a court determine the ownership rights of rival claimants to the same money or property that is held by that third person. The IRS defines a disputed ownership fund (DOF) as a fund established to hold money or property that is subject to conflicting claims of ownership in the registry of the court. Interpleader funds are deposited with the court by a non-owner, third party and invested in the court’s registry pending the court’s determination of ownership and entry of a disbursement order. I. CASE OPENER 1. Open a Civil Case (Attorney) a) After reading information screen click Next b) After reading OFFICE by county screen click Next c) Select Office: Camden, Newark or Trenton; Case type: cv d) Other court name and number – use if appropriate e) After reading information screen click Next f) Enter the following in the appropriate fields: Jurisdiction generally 4 (Diversity) but may be 3 (Federal Question)1 Cause of Action = 28:1335 (28:1335 Interpleader Action) Nature of Suit in most cases it would be 110 (Insurance) however, 190 (Other Contract), 791 (ERISA) and 890 (Other Statutory Action) are other possibilities Origin = 1 (Original Proceeding) Citizenship plaintiff and defendant - Select appropriately Jury demand - Select appropriately County - Select appropriately Fee status defaults to pd (paid), change if appropriate All other fields leave blank or as populated, click Next g) After reading entering parties information screen click Next 2. -
Construction Arbitration: Unique Joinder and Consolidation Challenges
® JUNE 2020 | VOLUME 74 | NUMBER 3 © 2020, American Arbitration Association Construction Arbitration: Unique Joinder and Consolidation Challenges Steven Champlin∗ Tiana Towns† Introduction It is well known that arbitration as a means of deciding disputes is used widely in the construction industry to avoid litigation costs and delays and for other reasons. To a great extent, the American Arbitration Association (AAA) has provided the preferred forum and rules. Yet, there are lawyers and their clients who question use of arbitration to resolve construction disputes. One of the reasons often advanced relates to the potential inability in some circumstances to join, that is add, some parties to a proceeding or consolidate related, but separate, arbitrations, with the consequence that multiple proceedings, increased expense, and inconsistent results can occur. It is important for those in the construction industry to understand what the joinder and consolidation challenges actually are and how they can be mitigated. I. Reasons Construction Disputes May Give Rise to Joinder and Consolidation Issues Construction disputes often require evaluation of which parties should be joined in a proceeding or whether a related arbitration should be consoli- dated with a proceeding for a number of reasons unique to the construction setting, which are discussed below. ∗After retiring from Dorsey & Whitney LLP, an international law firm, where he served as head of the firm’s construction and design group for over 20 years, Steven Champlin has devoted most of his professional activities to serving as an arbitrator. He is a member of the AAA National Roster of Arbitrators, Large, Complex Cases Panel, CPR’s National Panel of Distinguished Construction Neutrals, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport. -
Memorandum in Support of Demurrer
18CV337830 Santa Clara – Civil 1 SEYFARTH SHAW LLP Electronically Filed Richard B. Lapp (SBN 271052) by Superior Court of CA, 2 E-mail: [email protected] County of Santa Clara, Camille A. Olson (SBN 111919) 3 E-mail: [email protected] on 4/2/2019 5:14 PM Robin E. Devaux (SBN 233444) Reviewed By: R. Walker 4 E-mail: [email protected] Case #18CV337830 560 Mission Street, 31st Floor Envelope: 2709539 5 San Francisco, California 94105 Telephone: (415) 397-2823 6 Facsimile: (415) 397-8549 7 SEYFARTH SHAW LLP Jeffrey A. Wortman (SBN 180781) 8 E-mail: [email protected] 601 South Figueroa Street, Suite 3300 9 Los Angeles, California 90017-5793 Telephone: (213) 270-9600 10 Facsimile: (213) 270-9601 11 SEYFARTH SHAW LLP Reiko Furuta (SBN 169206) 12 E-mail: [email protected] 2029 Century Park East, Suite 3500 13 Los Angeles, California 90067 Telephone: (310) 277-7200 14 Facsimile: (310) 201-5219 15 16 Attorneys for Defendant HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY 17 18 SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA 19 COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA 20 R. ROSS and C. ROGUS, individually and on Case No. 18 CV 337830 behalf of all others similarly situated, 21 DEFENDANT HEWLETT PACKARD Plaintiffs, ENTERPRISE COMPANY’S 22 MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND v. AUTHORITIES IN SUPPORT OF 23 DEMURRER HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE 24 COMPANY, a Delaware corporation, (formerly Date: June 28, 2019 HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY), Time: 9:00 a.m. 25 Department: 1 Defendant. 26 Complaint Filed: November 8, 2018 Trial Date: Not Set 27 28 DEFENDANT HPE’S MPA IN SUPPORT OF DEMURRER / CASE NO. -
Civil Dispositive Motions: a Basic Breakdown
Civil Dispositive Motions: A Basic Breakdown 1) Simplified Timeline: Motion for 12(b)(6) Motions JNOV** Summary Judgment Motions* Motion for New Trial Motion Motion for D.V. for D.V. (Rul 10 days Discovery and Mediation Plaintiff‟s Defendant‟s Evidence Evidence Process Complaint Trial Jury‟s Entry of Judgment Filed Begins Verdict * Defendant may move at any time. Plaintiff must wait until 30 days after commencement of action. **Movant must have moved for d.v. after close of evidence. 2) Pre-Trial Motions: Rule 12(b)(6) and Summary Judgment A. Rule 12(b)(6) Motions to Dismiss 1. Challenge the sufficiency of the complaint on its face. Movant asks the court to dismiss the complaint for “failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.” 2. Standard: The court may grant the motion if the allegations in the complaint are insufficient or defective as a matter of law in properly stating a claim for relief. For example: a) The complaint is for fraud, which requires specific pleading, but a required element of fraud is not alleged. 1 b) The complaint alleges breach of contract, but incorporates by reference (and attaches) a contract that is unenforceable as a matter of law. c) The complaint alleges a claim against a public official in a context in which that official has immunity as a matter of law. 3. The court only looks at the complaint (and documents incorporated by reference). a) If the court looks outside the complaint, the motion is effectively converted to a summary judgment and should be treated under the provisions of Rule 56. -
Sample Pleading Template (Federal Court)
Case 4:19-cv-01231-JSW Document 4-1 Filed 03/07/19 Page 2 of 30 1 Marísa Díaz, CSB No. 293072 E-mail: [email protected] 2 Christopher Ho, CSB No. 129845 3 E-mail: [email protected] LEGAL AID AT WORK 4 180 Montgomery Street, Suite 600 San Francisco, California 94104 5 Telephone: 415.864.8848 6 Facsimile: 415.593.0096 7 Beth W. Mora, CSB No. 208859 E-mail: [email protected] 8 MORA EMPLOYMENT LAW, APC 9 18 Crow Canyon Court, Suite 205 San Ramon, California 94583 10 Telephone: 925.820.8949 Facsimile: 925.820.0278 11 12 Attorneys for Plaintiff-Intervenor Ayesha Faiz 13 14 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 15 FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 16 17 Case No. 4:19-cv-01231 18 U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION, 19 Plaintiff, [PROPOSED] COMPLAINT IN 20 INTERVENTION FOR VIOLATIONS OF: 21 AYESHA FAIZ, 22 (1) TITLE VII OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT Plaintiff-Intervenor, OF 1964; 23 (2) 42 U.S.C. § 1981; v. (3) CALIFORNIA FAIR EMPLOYMENT AND 24 FIDELITY HOME ENERGY, INC., a HOUSING ACT; 25 California Corporation; and DOES 1-50, (4) STATE TORT LAW; (5) CALIFORNIA LABOR CODE 26 Defendants. JURY TRIAL DEMANDED 27 28 29 30 {00569825.DOCX} Case No. 4:19-cv-01231 31 [PROPOSED] COMPLAINT IN INTERVENTION 32 Case 4:19-cv-01231-JSW Document 4-1 Filed 03/07/19 Page 3 of 30 1 INTRODUCTION 2 1. This is an action for relief from violations by Defendant Fidelity Home Energy, 3 Inc.