Conflict of Laws Flashcards
(261 cards)
Whenever a legal problem involves incidents, issues, or parties connected to more than one state, ________ must determine which state’s laws should control.
The forum court
The first step in any conflict of laws analysis is _____________.
Determining whether the deciding court deciding has proper jurisdiction over:
1. The parties AND
2. The subject matter
A judgment rendered in the absence of _______ will not be recognized or enforced in other states.
Proper jurisdiction
The general role is that courts of __________ have personal jurisdiction over that person for any claim even if the claim is not otherwise connected with the forum.
Person’s domicile
Limitation imposed by contract is also known as __________.
Choice of forum by agreement
The parties’ agreement as to the place of action cannot oust ___________.
A state that has proper judicial jurisdiction
An agreement over choice of forum will be given effect unless ___________.
it is unfair or unreasonable
A state does not obtain personal jurisdiction over an individual who appears in the action for the sole purpose of _____________.
Objecting to the forum’s exercise or jurisdiction over her
Any appearance without _______ waives an individual’s objection to personal jurisdiction.
Raising the jurisdictional objection
A state will not exercise judicial jurisdiction over D or her property if obtained via ____ or _____.
Fraud
Unlawful force
A state will not exercise judicial jurisdiction when inaction on its part is required by ________ or ___________.
International law
The needs of judicial administration
A state will not exercise judicial jurisdiction when forbidden to do so by ______ or _______
Customary international law
Provisions of some treaty/other formal agreement to which the state is a party
It is customary for a state to grant immunity from ______ to nonresidents appearing in a case
Service of process
Immunity from service to process can be granted by:
- Witnesses
- Lawyers
- The parties
What is the doctrine of forum non conveniens?
A state won’t exercise jurisdiction if it is a seriously inconvenient forum for the trial of the action as long as there is a more appropriate available forum
To satisfy the due process clause of the US Constitution, a non-domiciliary D not served in the forum must have minimum contacts such that ___________.
Maintaining the suit doesn’t offend traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice
A choice of law issues where:
Laws of 2+ states:
1. Are potentially relevant to a case AND
2. Differ materially
On a general level, how does the US Constitution apply to choice of law?
Places limits on the forum state’s application of its own substantive law
A court sitting in a state must apply that state’s choice of ____ approach.
Law
The forum may not apply its own substantive law to a particular issue unless application of the law would be reasonable in light of:
- The relationship of the state AND
- Of other states to the person, thing, or occurrence involved
For a state’s substantive law to be selected in a constitutionally permissible manner:
- State must have significant contact/aggregation of contacts AND
- Choice of law neither arbitrary nor fundamentally unfair
_________ will typically satisfy the due process requirements of finding a change of law to be constitutional.
Plaintiff’s domicile
If a state has only ______ contact with the parties and the occurrence or transaction, application of its law is unconstitutional.
Insigificant
Even if a state may apply its own law, it is not constitutionally required to ______.
do so