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CivilProcedure

Contents

JurisdictionandVenue

TheDoctrinesofResJudicataandCollateralEstoppel

ChallengingForumand
Jurisdiction

NoticeandServiceof
Process

Pleadings

TheErieDoctrine

MultiParty,MultiClaim
Litigation

Discovery

PretrialAdjudication

Trial

TheDoctrinesofRes
JudicataandCollateral
Estoppel
ResJudicata(Claim
Preclusion)
CollateralEstoppel(Issue
Preclusion)

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Thesetwodoctrinesestablishtherulethatonceacasehasreachedafinal
judgment,relitigationoftheclaimsandissuesgenerallyisbarred.

ResJudicata(ClaimPreclusion)
A. Rule:Ifjudgmentisrenderedinfavorofaplaintiffinaparticularsuit,the
plaintiffisprecludedfromraisingclaims(inanyfuturelitigation)whichwere
raisedin(orcouldhavebeenraised)inthatlawsuit.
B. Elements:Beforeacourtwillapplythedoctrineofresjudicatatoaclaim,
threeelementsmustbesatisfied:
1. Theremusthavebeenpriorlitigationinwhichidenticalclaimswereraised
(orcouldhavebeenraised).Ingeneral,claimsaresufficientlyidenticalif
theyarefoundtoshareacommonnucleusofoperativefact.
2. Thepartiesinthesecondlitigationmustbeidenticalinsomemannerto
thepartiesintheoriginallitigation,orbeinprivitywiththepartiesinthefirst
action.
Note:Apartyisconsideredtobeinprivitywithapartyintheoriginal
litigationif:
A. Thenonpartysucceededtotheinterestofaparty
B. Thenonparty,thoughitdidnottechnicallyparticipateinthefirstsuit,
controlledonepartyslitigationinthatsuit
C. Thenonpartysharesapropertyinterestwiththeparty
D. Thepartyandthenonpartyhaveanagencyrelationship(agent/principal)
or
E. Thepartyotherwiseadequatelyrepresentedtheinterestofthenonpartyin
thepreviouslitigation.
3. Theremusthavebeenafinaljudgmentonthemeritsintheoriginal
litigation.Note:Notallfinaljudgmentsarebasedonthemeritsofthecase
(i.e.,casesdismissedonjurisdictionalgrounds,etc.).
C. Scope:Resjudicatabarsrelitigationofclaimsthatwerepreviouslylitigated
aswellasclaimsthatcouldhavebeenlitigatedinthefirstlawsuit.
D. Counterclaims:Resjudicataisgenerallynotappliedtopotential
counterclaimsbydefendants,sodefendantsarenotnecessarilybarred
fromraisingacounterclaiminfuturelitigation.However,rememberthatall
counterclaimsmustconformtoFRCPRule13(a),andthatsome
counterclaimsarecompulsory(mustberaisedinoriginallitigationorthey
arewaived).

CollateralEstoppel(IssuePreclusion)
A. Rule:Ifanissuehasbeendecidedinaparticularcase,itistreatedas
decidedwithoutfurtherproofinanysubsequentlitigationthatinvolves
theissue.Inotherwords,apersonorpartywhoseekstorelitigateany
alreadydecidedissueiscollaterallystoppedfromdoingso.
B. Elements:Beforeacourtwillapplythedoctrineofcollateralestoppel,three
elementsmustbesatisfied:
1. Theremusthavebeenapriorlitigationinwhichtheidenticalissuewas
broughtbeforethecourt.
2. Theissuemusthavebeenactuallylitigatedinthefirstjudicialproceeding,
andthepartyagainstwhomcollateralestoppelisbeingassertedmusthave
hadafullandfairopportunitytolitigatetheissueinthefirstjudicial
proceeding.
3. Theissuemustnecessarilyhavebeendecidedandrenderedasa
necessarypartofthecourtsfinaljudgment.
C. Scope:Unlikeresjudicata,collateralestoppeldoesnotbarfuturelitigation
overissuesnotactuallyraisedintheoriginaljudicialproceeding,evenif
theissuescouldhavebeenraised.
D. Whomaybebound:Theoldrulethatonlytheactualparties(andthosein
privitywiththeactualparties)tothefirstjudicialproceedingmaybebound
bythecourtsfindings/decisionontheissuehasbeenvirtuallyabolished.

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Increasingly,courtshavebeenwillingtoallowstrangers(personsnot
involvedinthefirstlitigation)tousecollateralestoppelinvarioussituations
topreventanotherpartyfromrelitigatinganissue.

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