Federal jurisdiction in a nutshell

Federal courts are not allowed to intervene in a legal dispute indiscriminately. This authoritative text lays out the constitutional source of federal authority and the limits to its application, focusing on federal questions and diversity. Jurisdictional problems and jurisdictional amount are discussed, as well as admiralty, sovereign immunity, abstention, injunctions against suit, and civil rights removal. Also includes coverage of three-judge courts, trial location, and the law applicable in federal courts.

• Preface p. iii
• Introduction p. 9
• I. Congress, the Courts p. 13
• A. Judicial Review p. 13
• B. Cases and Controversies p. 16
• 1. Finality p. 16
• 2. Advisory Opinions p. 17
• 3. Standing p. 19
• 4. Ripeness p. 31
• 5. Mootness p. 35
• 6. Political Questions p. 38
• 7. Administrative Questions p. 43
• C. The Power of Congress to Regulate Federal Jurisdiction p. 44
• 1. The Power to Deny Jurisdiction p. 44
• 2. Legislative Courts p. 52
• 3. Article I Powers in Article III Courts p. 57
• II. Federal-Question Cases p. 60
• A. Identifying Federal-Question Cases p. 60
• 1. Constitutional Scope p. 60
• 2. Remote Federal Issues p. 63
• 3. The Well-Pleaded Complaint Rule p. 65
• 4. Incorporation of Federal or State Law p. 70
• B. Supplemental Jurisdiction p. 75
• III. Admiralty p. 80
• IV. Diversity Cases p. 88
• A. Determining Citizenship p. 89
• B. Complete Diversity p. 92
• 1. The General Rule p. 92
• 2. Interpleader p. 93
• 3. Supplemental Jurisdiction p. 96
• C. Corporations and Associations p. 98
• 1. Associations as Citizens p. 98
• 2. Determining Corporate Citizenship p. 100
• 3. The Consequence of Multiple Citizenship p. 101
• 4. Derivative Suits p. 103
• D. The Jurisdictional Amount p. 105
• 1. Determining the Amount in Controversy p. 105
• 2. Multiple Claims p. 108
• V. Miscellaneous Jurisdictional Issues p. 111
• A. Raising Jurisdictional Questions p. 111
• B. Exclusive Jurisdiction p. 112
• C. State Courts and Federal Officers p. 113
• D. Removal p. 115
• E. The Obligation of State Courts to Provide A Forum p. 117
• F. Venue and Service of Process p. 119
• G. Forum Non Conveniens and Transfer p. 121
• VI. The Law Applicable in Federal Courts p. 125
• A. Erie p. 125
• B. Substance and Procedure p. 127
• C. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure p. 130
• D. The Choice Among Conflicting State Laws p. 131
• E. The Federal Common Law p. 134
• F. Federal Law in State Courts p. 139
• G. Section 1983 p. 140
• H. Bivens p. 147
• VII. Sovereign Immunity p. 151
• A. The General Principle p. 151
• B. Waiver p. 157
• C. Suits Against Government Officers p. 160
• D. Official Immunity p. 166
• E. Congressional and Presidential Immunities p. 169
• VIII. Abstention and Related Doctrines p. 173
• A. Pullman p. 173
• B. Certification p. 177
• C. Burford and Alabama p. 178
• D. Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies p. 179
• E. Domestic Relations, Probate, and Pending Actions p. 181
• F. Injunctions Against Suit p. 183
• 1. Section 2283 p. 183
• a. "Expressly Authorized" p. 184
• b. "Necessary . . . in Aid of . . . Jurisdiction" p. 186
• c. "To Protect or Effectuate its Judgments" p. 188
• d. Implicit Exceptions and Proposals for Reform p. 188
• 2. Nonstatutory Limitations p. 190
• 3. State Injunctions Against Federal Proceedings p. 195
• IX. Appellate and Collateral Review p. 197
• A. Supreme Court Review of State Judgments p. 197
• 1. Federal and State Questions p. 197
• 2. Adequate State Grounds p. 199
• B. Miscellaneous Problems p. 206
• 1. Appeal, Certiorari, and Certification p. 206
• 2. The Final-Judgment Rule p. 207
• C. Post-Conviction Review p. 214
• 1. The Issues Cognizable p. 214
• 2. The Impact of a Prior State-Court Decision p. 216
• 3. Procedural Defaults p. 220
• 4. Federal Prisoners p. 226
• 5. Military Prisoners p. 229
• 6. Custody, Prematurity, and Venue p. 233
• 7. Exhaustion of State Remedies p. 237
• 8. Other Post-Conviction Remedies p. 241