ELON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
Civil Procedure
Fall 2008
P ROFESSOR
Eric M. Fink
Telephone: 279-9334
Email: efink@elon.edu
Office: A213
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 3:30-4:30 pm or by appointment
C OURSE D ESCRIPTION
This course will introduce you to the procedures for civil lawsuits, with a focus on
the federal courts. Topics to be covered include personal jurisdiction, federal
subject-matter jurisdiction, venue, state law in federal courts (the Erie doctrine),
pleading, joinder of parties and claims, disposition without trial, and the preclusive
effect of judgments in future proceedings.
R EQUIRED M ATERIAL
Casebook
A. Benjamin Spencer, Civil Procedure: A Contemporary Approach (2d ed.,
Thomson West 2008)
The online “interactive” component of the casebook contains the complete text
and links to supplemental material, including the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
and pertinent statutory provisions. Accordingly, you will not need a separate
statutory/rule supplement for this course.
Course Website (Westlaw/TWEN)
The course website contains supplemental readings and other material pertinent to
the course. You should check the website regularly for posted material and notices.
Fall 2008
Civil Procedure (Fink)
Page 2
C OURSE P OLICIES
Class Attendance, Preparation, and Participation
I expect you to attend class regularly, complete all reading as assigned, and
contribute to class discussion. Excessive absences or persistent lack of preparation
may result in a reduction of your final grade.
Computers and Other Electronic Devices
I encourage you to bring a computer to class, particularly as we will be making use
of the “interactive” features of the casebook and other online resources. You may
use your computer in class to access course materials, take notes, or other courserelated purposes. I expect you to refrain from using computers or other electronic
devices during class for non-course-related purposes (including, but not limited to,
email, instant messages, or other communication; web browsing; and games). Noncourse-related use of computers or other electronic devices during class may result
in a reduction of your final grade.
Examinations and Grading
Your final grade will be based on a series of in-class quizzes (40%) and a final
examination (60%). You may earn a bonus of up to .25 grade points for outstanding
in-class performance.
There will be eight (8) quizzes, one for each course unit. The quizzes will be
multiple-choice format, designed to test your knowledge of the rules and concepts
of civil procedure. The quizzes will be “closed materials” (i.e. you may not access
any other materials).
The final exam will be essay format, requiring you to analyze factual scenarios
according to the rules and concepts introduced in the course. The exam will be
“limited open material” (i.e. you may use your casebook, your class notes, and an
outline you prepared on your own or with a study group).
Fall 2008
Civil Procedure (Fink)
C OURSE O UTLINE
AND
Page 3
A SSIGNMENTS
Introduction
Topic
Pages
Civil Procedure
Overview
1-20
Cases
Rules/Statutes
Hypos
Rules/Statutes
Hypos
Unit I: Personal Jurisdiction
Topic
Pages
Cases
Historical Roots
21-36
Pennoyer v. Neff
Hess v. Pawloski
“Minimum
Contacts”
37-49
International Shoe
v. Washington
Applying
“Minimum
Contacts”
49-80
McGee v.
International Life
Hanson v. Denckla
World Wide VW v.
Woodson
Keeton v. Hustler
Magazine
Calder v. Jones
2.4
Applying
“Minimum
Contacts”
80-99
Burger King v.
Rudzewicz
Asahi Metal Indus.
v. Superior Court
2.5
Applying
“Minimum
Contacts”
99-117
Inset Syst. v.
Instruction Set
Zippo Mfg. v.
Zippo Dot Com
Young v. New
Haven Advocate
2.1
N.C. Stat. §1-75.4
N.Y.C.P.L.R. §302
2.2
2.3
Fall 2008
Civil Procedure (Fink)
General
Jurisdiction;
In Rem Jurisdiction
118142
Perkins v. Benguet
Consol. Mining
Helicopteros
Nacionales de
Colombia v. Hall
Shaffer v. Heitner
Transient
Jurisdiction;
Consent;
Service
135165
Burnham v.
Superior Court
Carnival Cruise
Lines v. Shute
Notice
165185
Mullane v. Central
Hanover B&T
Dunsenbery v. U.S
Jones v. Flowers
Page 4
2.7
2.8
2.9
FRCP 4(k)
2.10
2.11
Unit II: Federal Subject-Matter Jurisdiction
Topic
Pages
Cases
Rules/Statutes
Introduction
187189
Diversity
Jurisdiction
189211
Mas v. Perry
Hart v. FedEx
Ground
Del Vecchio v.
Conseco
Federal Question
Jurisdiction
211228
Osborn v. Bank of
the United States
Louisville &
Nashville R.R. v.
Mottley
Grable & Sons v.
Darue Eng. & Mfg.
Const. Art. III, §2
28 U.S.C. §1331
Supplemental
Jurisdiction
229260
United Mine
Workers v. Gibbs
Exxon Mobil Corp.
v. Allapattah Svcs.
Const. Art. III, §2
28 U.S.C. §1331
Hypos
Const. Art. III, §2
3.1
3.3
3.4
3.9
Fall 2008
Removal
Jurisdiction
Civil Procedure (Fink)
261278
Hays v. Cave
Fullin v. Martin
Page 5
28 U.S.C. §1441
28 U.S.C. §§1442,
1443, 1445, 1446,
1447, 1453
Unit III: Venue
Topic
Pages
Cases
Establishing &
Changing Venue
281295,
303318
Bates v. C&S
Adjusters
Dee-K Enterprises
v. Heveafil Sdn.
Bhd.
Hoffman v. Blaski
Smith v. Colonial
Penn
Bolivia v. Philip
Morris Companies;
Forum Non
Conveniens
318330
Piper Aircraft Co. v.
Reyno
Rules/Statutes
28 U.S.C. §1391,
1404, 1406
Hypos
4.1
4.2
4.3
Unit IV: State Law in Federal Courts (The Erie Doctrine)
Topic
Pages
Cases
Origins of the Erie
Doctrine
333351
Swift v. Tyson
Erie R.R. v.
Tompkins
Development of
the Erie Doctrine
352370
Guaranty Trust v.
York
Byrd v. Blue Ridge
Rural Elec. Co-op.
The Rules
Enabling Act and
Modern Erie
Doctrine
370401
Hanna v. Plumer
Gasperini v. Center
for Humanities
Rules/Statutes
Hypos
28 U.S.C. §1652
28 U.S.C. §2072
5.1
Fall 2008
Civil Procedure (Fink)
Page 6
Unit V: Pleading
Topic
Pages
Cases
Rules/Statutes
Hypos
Introduction to
Pleading;
The Complaint
403430
Swierkiewicz v.
Sorema
Bell Atlantic v.
Twombly
Rio Properties v. Rio
Int‟l Interlink
FRCP 9(b), 8(e)(2);
FRCP 4(d), (e), (f)
Responding to the
Complaint
441466
American Nurses
Ass‟n v. Illinois
Zielinski v.
Philadelphia Piers
FRCP 12
6.46.8
Amendments to
Pleadings
466484
Beeck v . Aquaslide
„N‟ Dive
Worthington v.
Wilson
FRCP 15(a), (b), (c),
(d)
6.9
Ensuring Truthful
Allegations
484504
Hadges v. Yonkers
Raceway
FRCP 11
Unit VI: Joinder of Claims & Parties
Topic
Pages
Cases
Rules/Statutes
Hypos
Joinder of Claims
507520
U.S. v. HeywardRobinson
FRCP 18(a);
FRCP 13(a), (b), (g)
7.1
7.2
Joinder of Parties
521561
Mosley v. GM
Lehman v.
Revolution Portfolio
Temple v. Synthes
Wilbur v. Locke
NRDC v. Nuclear
Reg. Comm.
FRCP 20(a);
FRCP 14(a);
FRCP 19(a), (b);
FRCP 24
7.3
7.4
Fall 2008
Civil Procedure (Fink)
Page 7
Unit VII: Disposition Without Trial
Topic
Pages
Default Judgment
& Dismissal
703711
Summary
Judgment
745767
Cases
Rules/Statutes
Hypos
FRCP 55
Celotex v. Cartrett
FRCP 56
9.1
Unit VIII: Effect of Judgments on Future Proceedings
Topic
Pages
Cases
Rules/Statutes
Hypos
Claim Preclusion
(Res Judicata)
897927
Nestor v. Pratt &
Whitney
Neson and Ford.,
Inc. v. Wanda
Petroleum
Semtek Int‟l v.
Lockheed Martin
11.2
11.3
11.4
11.5
Issue Preclusion
(Collateral
Estoppel)
927949
Cromwell v. County
of Sac
Parklane Hosiery
Co. v. Shore
11.6
11.7
11.8