Civil Procedure & Federal Courts Blog

Kalajdzic on Erichson on FICALA and Class Action Reform

Today on the Courts Law section of JOTWELL is Jasminka Kalajdzic’s essay, In Praise of Non-Partisan Law Reform of Class Actions. Jasminka reviews Howard Erichson’s recent article, Civil Litigation Reform in the Trump Era: Threats and Opportunities Searching for Salvageable Ideas in FICALA, 87 Fordham L. Rev. 19 (2018).

 

 

 

SCOTUS: Rule 23(f)’s 14-day deadline for class-certification appeals is not subject to equitable tolling

Yesterday the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in Nutraceutical Corp. v. Lambert, which involves Rule 23(f)’s 14-day deadline for seeking permission to appeal a district court’s class-certification ruling.

In Justice Sotomayor’s opinion, the Court makes clear that the 14-day deadline is not jurisdictional, which means that it “can be waived or forfeited.” [Slip op. at 3-4] Nonetheless, the Court found that it is not subject to equitable tolling:

“Whether a rule precludes equitable tolling turns not on its jurisdictional character but rather on whether the text of the rule leaves room for such flexibility. Here, the governing rules speak directly to the issue of Rule 23(f)’s flexibility and make clear that its deadline is not subject to equitable tolling.” [Slip op. at 4]

Howard Wasserman has a more detailed recap at SCOTUSblog.

 

 

SCOTUS Cert Grant on FDCPA Statute of Limitations

Yesterday the Supreme Court granted certiorari in granted certiorari in Rotkiske v. Klemm. Here is the question presented:

Whether the “discovery rule” applies to toll the one (1) year statute of limitations under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692, et seq., as the Fourth and Ninth Circuits have held but the Third Circuit (sua sponte en banc) has held contrarily.

You can find all the cert-stage briefing—and follow the merits briefs as they come in—at SCOTUSblog and at the Supreme Court website.

 

 

 

SCOTUS Decision on Counting the Votes of Federal Judges Who Die Before a Decision Is Issued

Today the Supreme Court decided Yovino v. Rizo, issuing a per curiam opinion that begins:

A judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the Honorable Stephen Reinhardt, died on March 29, 2018, but the Ninth Circuit counted his vote in cases decided after that date. In the present case, Judge Reinhardt was listed as the author of an en banc decision issued on April 9, 2018, 11 days after he passed away. By counting Judge Reinhardt’s vote, the court deemed Judge Reinhardt’s opinion to be a majority opinion, which means that it constitutes a precedent that all future Ninth Circuit panels must follow. See United States v. Caperna, 251 F. 3d 827, 831, n. 2 (2001). Without Judge Reinhardt’s vote, the opinion attributed to him would have been approved by only 5 of the 10 members of the en banc panel who were still living when the decision was filed. Although the other five living judges concurred in the judgment, they did so for different reasons. The upshot is that Judge Reinhardt’s vote made a difference. Was that lawful?

The answer is no. The opinion concludes:

Because Judge Reinhardt was no longer a judge at the time when the en banc decision in this case was filed, the Ninth Circuit erred in counting him as a member of the majority. That practice effectively allowed a deceased judge to exercise the judicial power of the United States after his death. But federal judges are appointed for life, not for eternity.

We therefore grant the petition for certiorari, vacate the judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and remand the case for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

 

 

 

Call for Papers: Eleventh Annual Junior Faculty Federal Courts Workshop (Arkansas-Fayetteville, September 6-7, 2019)

Here is the announcement:

The University of Arkansas School of Law will host the Eleventh Annual Junior Faculty Federal Courts Workshop on September 6-7, 2019. The workshop pairs a senior scholar with a panel of junior scholars presenting works-in-progress.

The workshop is open to untenured and recently tenured academics who teach and write in the areas of federal courts, civil rights litigation, civil procedure, and other related topics. The program is also open to scholars who wish to attend, read, and comment on papers but not present.  There is no registration fee.

The conference will begin on the morning of Friday, September 6, and conclude by lunchtime on Saturday, September 7. Each panel will consist of three to four junior scholars, with a senior scholar commenting on the papers and leading a group discussion.

The workshop will take place on the University of Arkansas’s flagship campus in Fayetteville. The Law School will provide lunches and dinners for those attending the workshop, but attendees must cover their own travel and lodging costs. Those wishing to present a paper must submit an abstract to [email protected] by March 29, 2019. Papers will be selected by a committee of past participants, and presenters will be notified by the end of May.

 

 

 

 

 

Call for Papers: A Critical Guide to Civil Procedure

From the announcement:

Boston University School of Law (host; co-sponsors Seattle University and University of Washington)
Workshop Date: Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Abstract Deadline: March 15, 2019
Convenors: Portia Pedro, Brooke Coleman, Suzette Malveaux, & Elizabeth Porter

Civil Procedure is not a technocratic, neutral area of study, yet there is no collection of civil procedural scholarship engaging perspectives at the margins. In this workshop, we will discuss these perspectives. The workshop will support a book project that the convenors are editing.

The idea for the book project is to create a critical reference guide for the core civ pro concepts students learn every year. We envision a collection of essays - loosely keyed to traditional textbook topics - that reveal the relationship between civil procedural rules/doctrines and race, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, class, and disability. In addition to basic civil procedure concepts like pleading, jurisdiction, discovery, and aggregate litigation, we hope to include a critical analysis of related topics such as rulemaking institutions, arbitration, and remedies.

This workshop will include authors who have already agreed to contribute to this book project, but we also want to bring in more voices. At the workshop, contributors will discuss a five-page precis of their essay (precis are to be submitted in advance of the workshop). The final essays should be roughly 10,000 words, including footnotes. (Essays should not include “Part I” basic background, but should center on the author’s critical analysis.) The essays for the book project are due by August 1, 2019.

Full details here:

Download Critical Guide to Civil Procedure CFP

 

 

John Marshall Law School seeks civil procedure visitor

Here is the announcement:

Full-Time Faculty Podium Visitors for 2019-2020

The John Marshall Law School in Chicago seeks two or more experienced faculty members to serve as full-time visiting professors for the 2019-2020 academic year (one or both semesters). We need coverage in the areas of Civil Procedure, Corporations, Employee Benefits, Estates & Trusts, Income Taxation, Legal Research and Writing, and Property. Candidates must have law school teaching experience. It is contemplated that the successful candidates will be current full-time faculty members at ABA-approved law schools, although others with extraordinary credentials may be considered.

To apply, submit a current CV, cover letter, and three professional references to Associate Dean David Sorkin at [email protected]. The Committee will begin reviewing applications as they are received and will continue on a rolling basis until the positions are filled. We may conduct an interview via Skype or a similar platform or in person, and may request submission of teaching evaluations or other materials.

The John Marshall Law School is committed to diversity, access, and opportunity. Subject to the approval of our accreditors, JMLS is in the process of being acquired by the University of Illinois at Chicago, with an anticipated closing date in August 2019. For more information, visit www.jmls.edu and jmls.uic.edu.

The John Marshall Law School, finding any invidious discrimination inconsistent with the mission of free academic inquiry, does not discriminate in admission, services, or employment on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic characteristics, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

 

 

 

 

 

Tidmarsh on Hodges & Voet on collective redress devices

Today on the Courts Law section of JOTWELL is Jay Tidmarsh’s essay Building a Better Mousetrap. Jay reviews a recent book by Christopher Hodges & Stefaan Voet, Delivering Collective Redress: New Technologies (2018).

 

 

5th Annual Civil Procedure Workshop: University of Texas (October 25-26, 2019)

Here is the Call for Papers:

The CPW gives both emerging and established civil procedure scholars an opportunity to gather with colleagues and present their work to an expert audience. Scholars will present their papers in small panel sessions. A senior scholar will moderate each panel and lead the commentary. In addition to paper presentations, we intend to engage members of the judiciary and federal civil rulemaking bodies in discussions about current developments in procedure. Our ongoing goal is for the CPW to strengthen the study of procedure as an academic discipline, and to deepen ties among the academy, rulemakers, and the judiciary.

Confirmed participants for 2019 include Kevin Clermont, Mechele Dickerson, J. Maria Glover, Tara Leigh Grove, Olatunde Johnson, Linda Mullenix, James Pfander, Charlie Silver, Shirin Sinnar, Steve Vladeck, and Patrick Woolley. We welcome all civil procedure scholars to attend. Those wishing to present a paper for discussion should submit a two-page abstract by March 15, 2019.

While we welcome papers from both emerging and senior scholars, preference may be given to those who have been teaching for less than ten years. We will select papers to be presented by April 22, 2019. Please send all submissions or related questions to Bob Bone.

The CPW will provide meals for registrants. Participants must cover travel and lodging costs. We will provide information about reasonably priced hotels as the date approaches. Feel free to contact us with questions.

Bob Bone (UT Austin), [email protected]
Dave Marcus (UCLA), [email protected]
Liz Porter (UW), [email protected]
Brooke Coleman (Seattle U), [email protected]

Download CPW Call For Papers

 

 

 

Conference and Call for Papers: Comparative Law and International Dispute Resolution Processes (University of Missouri, October 17-19, 2019)

The American Society of Comparative Law’s 2019 Annual Meeting will take place at the University of Missouri from October 17-19, 2019:

The American Society of Comparative Law’s 2019 annual program seeks to delve more deeply into how comparative law operates formally and informally, visibly and invisibly, publicly and privately, in cases involving cross-border dispute resolution. The program includes two plenary sessions that are intended to provide an overview of comparative law in international dispute resolution as well as recommendations and forecasts for the future of the field.

More details are available here.

If you wish either to propose concurrent panels or to submit abstracts for the works-in-progress conference that will take place in conjunction with the annual meeting, the deadline is May 20.