Civil Procedure & Federal Courts Blog

Announcement & Call for Papers: Civil Procedure Workshop (Northwestern Law School, May 19-20, 2023)

Here is the announcement and call for papers for the 2023 Civil Procedure Workshop, courtesy of Zach Clopton:

We are excited to announce that the next Civil Procedure Workshop will be hosted by Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in downtown Chicago on May 19-20, 2023.

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 plenary and breakout sessions. Senior scholars will moderate the plenary sessions and lead the commentary. In addition to paper presentations, we intend to engage members of the judiciary 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.

We welcome all civil procedure scholars to attend. Those wishing to present a paper for discussion should submit a two-page abstract by January 20, 2023. 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. Please submit your abstract using this form.

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. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Professor Zachary Clopton (Northwestern) at zclopton@law.northwestern.edu or at civproworkshop@law.northwestern.edu.

Additional information about the conference will be posted at https://www.law.northwestern.edu/research-faculty/events/conferences/civil-procedure-workshop/.

Download CPW 2023

 

 

 

 

 

Call for Papers: 12th Annual Junior Faculty Federal Courts Workshop (University of Florida, Dec. 1-2, 2022)

Here is the announcement:

The University of Florida Levin College of Law will host the Twelfth Annual Junior Faculty Federal Courts Workshop on December 1-2, 2022. The workshop pairs a senior scholar with a panel of junior scholars presenting works-in-progress. After a long COVID-related hiatus, we’re excited to bring together the Federal Courts scholarly community in person in Gainesville, Florida.

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 Thursday, December 1, and conclude by early afternoon on Friday, December 2. 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 at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, which is within 15 minutes of the Gainesville Regional Airport and less than two hours from the Jacksonville International Airport and the Orlando International Airport. The College of Law will provide lunches and dinners for those attending the workshop, but attendees must cover their own travel and lodging costs. A discounted block of rooms will be made available at the Hotel Eleo at the University of Florida. Those wishing to present a paper must submit an abstract of no more than two pages to jrfedcourts2022@gmail.com by Monday, September 12, 2022. Papers will be selected by a committee of past participants, and presenters will be notified by no later than October 3, 2022.

Questions about the conference may be directed to Professor Merritt McAlister at mcalister@law.ufl.edu or the Strategic Academic Programs Manager Ruth McIlhenny at ruthm@law.ufl.edu.

 

 

 

 

 

Call for Abstracts: Complex Litigation Ethics Conference (UC Hastings, San Francisco)

Here is the announcement:

The Center for Litigation and Courts and Huntington National Bank are excited to announce a call for abstracts for the upcoming Complex Litigation Ethics Conference to be held on the UC Hastings Law campus on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.

A substantial percentage of all cases filed in federal court are MDL cases, many of them involving proposed class actions. Meanwhile, district courts struggle with case management, settlement, and post-settlement administration of these complex cases. Yet scant scholarly attention has been paid to how courts adapt ethical rules and norms to complex litigation. This full-day conference will explore such issues as: 

1. Adapting Ethics to Complex Litigation in General;
2. Ethics in Funding Complex Litigation;
3. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity in Complex Litigation; and
4. Ethics in Communicating with Absent Class Members. 

Symposium papers will be published in a 2023 issue of the Hastings Law Journal. Confirmed speakers include federal judges, professors, and practicing attorneys, including Eric L. Cramer (Chair, Berger Montague PC), Maya Steinitz (Professor, University of Iowa) and W. Bradley Wendel (Professor, Cornell Law School). Additional speakers will be selected in part through this call for abstracts. For presenters not at for-profit legal practices, reasonable travel expenses and up to two nights’ lodging will be provided, in addition to meals. Presenters will be expected to circulate a polished draft paper by October 12. Final papers of around 8,000 words must be submitted to the Hastings Law Journal by December 31.

Abstracts of no more than 500 words should be submitted by email to Professor Joshua P. Davis at davisjosh@uchastings.edu, with the subject heading “Abstract Submission – Complex Litigation Ethics Conference,” by June 30 (or contact Joshua P. Davis to discuss timing). Selections will be made in the first week of July and then on an ongoing basis. 

Any questions should be submitted to Professor Davis at the email above.

 

 

Alabama Law Review Symposium Issue on Personal Jurisdiction

Last year, the Alabama Law Review hosted a virtual symposium entitled Ten Years of the Supreme Court’s Personal Jurisdiction Revival. The symposium issue is now posted:

Maggie Gardner, Pamela K. Bookman, Andrew D. Bradt, Zachary D. Clopton & D. Theodore Rave, The False Promise of General Jurisdiction, 73 Ala. L. Rev. 455 (2022).

Lawrence B. Solum & Max Crema, Originalism and Personal Jurisdiction: Several Questions and a Few Answers, 73 Ala. L. Rev. 483 (2022).

Alexandra D. Lahav, The New Privity in Personal Jurisdiction, 73 Ala. L. Rev. 539 (2022).

Richard D. Freer, From Contacts to Relatedness: Invigorating the Promise of “Fair Play and Substantial Justice” in Personal Jurisdiction Doctrine, 73 Ala. L. Rev. 583 (2022).

A. Benjamin Spencer, Rule 4(k), Nationwide Personal Jurisdiction, and the Civil Rules Advisory Committee: Lessons from Attempted Reform, 73 Ala. L. Rev. 607 (2022).

Gregory C. Cook & Andrew Ross D’Entremont, No End in Sight? Navigating the “Vast Terrain” of Personal Jurisdiction in Social Media Cases After Ford, 73 Ala. L. Rev. 621 (2022).

David G. Wirtes, Jr. & Christy Ward Rue, Combating Weaponized Challenges to Personal Jurisdiction, 73 Ala. L. Rev. 661 (2022).

Thanks to everyone who participated! Very excited to see the contributions in print.

 

 

 

Call for Papers: Nevada Law Journal Symposium on the Shadow Docket

The Nevada Law Journal is inviting submissions for its Volume 23 symposium: "Dark Necessities? The Supreme Court's Shadow Docket." This issue seeks to explain the shadow docket's past and present use as well as its substantive effects on particular areas of law. Proposals are due May 16, 2022; articles will be due by August 15, 2022.

Download Symposium call (23 Nev. L.J.)

 

 

Call for Papers: Seventh Annual Civil Procedure Workshop (Cardozo Law School, May 19-20, 2022)

Here is the call for papers for the Seventh Annual Civil Procedure Workshop, courtesy of Alex Reinert and Myriam Gilles:

We are excited to announce the Seventh Annual Civil Procedure Workshop will be hosted by Cardozo Law School in New York City on May 19-20, 2022.  

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 2020 include Pamela Bookman, Maureen Carroll, Zachary Clopton, Brooke Coleman, Myriam Gilles, David Marcus, Elizabeth Porter, Alexander Reinert, and Diego Zambrano. 

We welcome all civil procedure scholars to attend. Please register for the conference here (if the link does not work please use the following address: https://cardozo.yu.edu/registration-seventh-annual-civil-procedure-workshop).  Those wishing to present a paper for discussion should submit a two-page abstract by February 11, 2022, using the same registration site: https://cardozo.yu.edu/registration-seventh-annual-civil-procedure-workshop.  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 March 18, 2022.

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. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Alex Reinert (areinert@yu.edu) or Myriam Gilles (gilles@yu.edu).

 

Download CPW7 Call for Papers 12.10.21

 

 

Fall 2021 Unavailability Civil Procedure Workshops

Now that the calendar has officially turned to fall, we have two new installments of the Unavailability Civil Procedure Workshop to announce.  This semester, they’re happening on Tuesdays at 3:00pm ET / 2:00pm CT / 1:00pm MT / 12:00pm PT. Here’s the Fall 2021 lineup:

October 12, 2021: Howard Wasserman & Rocky Rhodes -- Texas S.B.8

November 9, 2021: Linda Mullenix -- Sanctions

 

 

Summer 2021 Civil Procedure Workshop Works-In-Progress Series

There’s still time to submit papers for the next installment of the Civil Procedure Workshop’s online works-in-progress series, which is happening on Thursday, August 12 (1:00-3:00pm eastern time). But you’ll need to act fast. Here’s a quick reminder from the organizers Pam Bookman, Brooke Coleman, and Dave Marcus:

If you would like to present a paper (regardless of what you indicated on the original form), please upload your paper using this form by Thursday, July 29.  Please note that we will be putting presenters into groups on Friday, July 30, and so we will not be accepting late submissions. This is meant to be a real workshop format, so feel free to submit earlier stage drafts.  However long your submission is, please include a note on the document you submit identifying the 10 pages that readers should focus on in anticipation of the presentation.  The original post is reprinted below.

Here’s the initial announcement, which includes the registration link:

The organizers of the Civil Procedure Workshop (“CPW”), an annual gathering of civil procedure scholars, look forward to an in-person gathering at Northwestern University in May 2022.  In the meanwhile, we invite all interested in civil procedure scholarship to participate in an online works-in-progress series the CPW has scheduled for July 15, 2021, and August 12, 2021.  Both sessions will proceed from 1:00-3:00 pm east coast.  Anyone who wishes to present a paper on a topic related to civil procedure is welcome and encouraged to do so.  We will organize participants into small discussion groups, to enable all authors to present their work and receive feedback from colleagues.   

Authors are encouraged to present their work in whatever form it takes.  Full drafts are welcome, but so too are shorter summaries or partially completed papers.   

Those who do not wish to present their work are also encouraged to attend.  We hope that these sessions will give colleagues a chance to gather, if only online, and continue to support our national community of procedure scholars that many of us enjoy so much.    

Please register for the works-in-progress series here.  

You are encouraged to attend both sessions and are welcome to present at one, both, or neither.  If you plan to present your work, we ask that you submit your paper to the organizers by July 1, 2021, for the July 15 session, and by July 29, 2021, for the August 12 session, to give organizers a chance to assemble groups and distribute papers to participants.  If you are presenting a full draft, we ask that you also identify a ten-page excerpt that readers can particularly focus on in advance of the discussions. 

 

Hope to see y’all there!

 

 

 

 

Law & Contemporary Problems Issue in Honor of Francis McGovern: Innovations in Complex Litigation and Settlement

Duke’s Law & Contemporary Problems has published an issue in honor of Francis McGovern, Innovations in Complex Litigation and Settlement. Here are the details and links to the symposium contributions:

Continue reading

AALS Federal Courts Section - Call for Nominations: Best Untenured Article on Federal Jurisdiction

Here is the announcement:

The AALS Section on Federal Courts is pleased to announce the annual award for the best article on the law of federal jurisdiction by a full-time, untenured faculty member at an AALS member or affiliate school—and to solicit nominations (including self-nominations) for the prize to be awarded at the 2022 AALS Annual Meeting.

The purpose of the award program is to recognize outstanding scholarship in the field of federal courts by untenured faculty members. To that end, eligible articles are those specifically in the field of Federal Courts that were published by a recognized journal during the twelve-month period ending on September 1, 2021 (date of actual publication determines eligibility). Eligible authors are those who, at the close of nominations (i.e., as of September 15, 2021), are untenured, full-time faculty members at AALS member or affiliate schools, and have not previously won the award. Nominations (and questions about the award) should be directed to Prof. Leah Litman at the University of Michigan Law School (lmlitman@umich.edu). Without exception, all nominations must be received by 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on September 15, 2021. Nominations will be reviewed by a prize committee comprised of Professors Curt Bradley (University of Chicago), Maggie Gardner (Cornell), Leah Litman (Michigan), Joanna Schwartz (UCLA), and Diego Zambrano (Stanford), with the result announced at the Federal Courts section program at the 2022 AALS Annual Meeting.

 

 

 

Zoom Celebration of Judge Jack Weinstein (Wednesday 7/14)

NYU Law School’s Center on Civil Justice is hosting a Zoom celebration of the life of Judge Jack Weinstein, on Wednesday, July 14th, 2:30pm-4:30pm (EDT). Details here.

Confirmed speakers include: Sheila Birnbaum (Dechert), Elizabeth Cabraser (Leiff Cabraser), Hon. Denise Cote (SDNY), Marc Falkoff (NIU), Ken Feinberg (Feinberg Law Offices), Hon. John Gleeson (Debevoise), John Goldberg (Harvard), Samuel Issacharoff (NYU), Troy McKenzie (NYU), Chris Seeger (Seeger Weiss), and Adam Zimmerman (Loyola).

Here’s the link to register.

 

 

 

 

Juries, Voir Dire, Batson, and Beyond: Achieving Fairness in Civil Jury Trials (Pound Civil Justice Institute Webcast, 7/17/2021)

The Pound Civil Justice Institute’s 2021 Forum for State Appellate Court Judges will be held by webcast on Saturday, July 17 (11:00 am – 5:30 pm EDT). The topic is “Juries, Voir Dire, Batson, and Beyond: Achieving Fairness in Civil Jury Trials,” and it will feature papers by Valerie Hans and Shari Diamond.

Academics who wish to attend can register here (deadline: July 8). Here is the full program:

Download 2021 Forum Agenda

 

 

 

 

Reminder: Summer 2021 Civil Procedure Workshop Works-In-Progress Series

Just a quick reminder that the first of two online civil procedure works-in-progress sessions will be happening on July 15. If you’d like to present, the deadline to upload your paper is this Thursday, July 1. Here’s the form to do so.

(H/T: Pam Bookman, Brooke Coleman & Dave Marcus)

 

 

 

Civil Procedure Workshop Summer 2021 Works-In-Progress Series (July 15 & August 12)

Pam Bookman, Brooke Coleman, and Dave Marcus have announced the CPW’s online works-in-progress series for summer 2021. Here are the details:

The organizers of the Civil Procedure Workshop (“CPW”), an annual gathering of civil procedure scholars, look forward to an in-person gathering at Northwestern University in May 2022.  In the meanwhile, we invite all interested in civil procedure scholarship to participate in an online works-in-progress series the CPW has scheduled for July 15, 2021, and August 12, 2021.  Both sessions will proceed from 1:00-3:00 pm east coast.  Anyone who wishes to present a paper on a topic related to civil procedure is welcome and encouraged to do so.  We will organize participants into small discussion groups, to enable all authors to present their work and receive feedback from colleagues. 

Authors are encouraged to present their work in whatever form it takes.  Full drafts are welcome, but so too are shorter summaries or partially completed papers. 

Those who do not wish to present their work are also encouraged to attend.  We hope that these sessions will give colleagues a chance to a gather, if only online, and continue to support our national community of procedure scholars that many of us enjoy so much.  

Please register for the works-in-progress series here.

You are encouraged to attend both sessions and are welcome to present at one, both, or neither.  If you plan to present your work, we ask that you submit your paper to the organizers by July 1, 2021, for the July 15 session, and by July 29, 2021, for the August 12 session, to give organizers a chance to assemble groups and distribute papers to participants.  If you are presenting a full draft, we ask that you also submit a ten-page excerpt that readers can particularly focus on in advance of the discussions.

 

 

 

Virtual Event: Unpacking Iqbal (April 15, 2021)

Below are the details for Unpacking Iqbal, which will be co-hosted by the Chicago-Kent MLSA with the MLSA at UIUC and Georgetown:

When: Apr 15 (Thu), 6:00 PM - 7:15 PM CDT

Where: Zoom, register here: https://lu.ma/qgugl5o3   

Ashcroft v. Iqbal is known as the seminal case that every 1L agonizes over because it transformed the pleading standard starting in 2008. But this case goes beyond pleading standards. It is intertwined with questions surrounding qualified immunity, Xenophobia, Islamophobia and carries a holding that eerily resembles a rationale for blatant racism and discrimination. We have invited panel speakers Professor Alexander Reinert (who argued the case in front of the Supreme Court) and Professor Shirin Sinnar to discuss the impact that Iqbal has had on the entire American litigation system for ethnic and racial minorities.

 

 

H/T: Greg Reilly

 

 

 

 

 

Stetson Law Review Virtual Symposium: "Civil Procedure Transformation After Fifteen Years of the Roberts Court" (April 9, 2021)

Here is the announcement and registration details:

Stetson Law Review is pleased to announce its Spring 2021 Virtual Symposium: Civil Procedure Transformation After Fifteen Years of the Roberts Court.  The Symposium will be held virtually on Friday, April 9 from 1-4:30 p.m. Panels will discuss the Roberts Court’s transformative influence on personal jurisdiction doctrine, court access and choice, as well as the adjudication process. More information on the panels and panelists can be found at https://www2.stetson.edu/law-review/symposia/.

The event will be held over Zoom. If you would like to attend, please email lrmarked@law.stetson.edu or register directly at https://lnkd.in/eggmuJM.

 

 

 

Emory & Oxford Zoom Series: "Quo Vadis civil justice? Filling the gaps in civil justice in the U.S. and Europe" (March 26, April 30, May 28)

Here is the announcement (H/T Rich Freer):

Emory University School of Law and The University of Oxford’s Center for Socio-Legal Studies Swiss Re Programme for Civil Justice Systems are hosting a three-part Zoom event titled, Quo Vadis civil justice? Filling the gaps in civil justice in the U.S. and Europe. The first event is this Friday, March 26, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Eastern Daylight Time. The others will follow, respectively, in April and May. The link to register for Friday’s event is below.

The ‘Filling the Gaps’ series will gather lawmakers, policymakers, scholars, business representatives and legal practitioners who will offer insights into the seismic shift the contemporary civil justice systems in Europe and the U.S. are experiencing. They will reflect on the search for just, efficient, and effective civil justice mechanisms, trace the trajectories of reforms, assess the reasons for differences in trajectories, and attempt to answer the perennial question: can we learn from one another?

Panels

Panel 1: Current Trends in Civil Litigation

March 26, 2021 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon (EDT)

The panel discussion explores developments in civil litigation. The recent trends in civil litigation in the U.S. have been the subject of some concern in academia and legal practice. The civil process and courthouses are affected by the growing pressures towards better case management and the omnipresent goal of efficiency. Some key elements of the ‘American procedural exceptionalism’ lost a great deal of their potency. European civil justice policy, while also under pressure from the efficiency advocates, continues to focus on encouraging more litigation. Reforms across Europe reflect movements towards some elements of the American-style (or common law-style) litigation. European lawmakers are looking into, or have already established, new mechanisms encouraging litigation, both on an individual and collective basis.

Speakers

Mary Anne Bobinski (Dean of Emory School of Law)
Christopher Hodges (University of Oxford)
Magdalena Tulibacka (Emory Law)
Sean Farhang (Berkeley Law, University of California)
Richard Freer (Emory Law)
Xandra Kramer (Erasmus School of Law, Rotterrdam)
Malgorzata Posnow-Wurm (European Commission)
John Sorabji (University College London Faculty of Law)
Stefaan Voet (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven)

To register, please click here.

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Emory Law Conference on Federal Diversity Jurisdiction (Friday, March 19)

Emory Law School’s Center on Federalism and Intersystemic Governance is hosting a conference on federal diversity jurisdiction this Friday, March 19 (11:20am – 5:40pm Eastern Time).

Here’s the link to register: https://emorylaw.wufoo.com/forms/conference-on-federal-diversity-jurisdiction/

(H/T: Jonathan Nash)

Private Enforcement & Environmental Law: Civil Society Organizations, Public Interests, and Accountability (Online Workshop, Friday 3/12/2021)

Cornell University’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the University of Chicago Law School are hosting an online workshop tomorrow (Friday 3/12, 8:15 am – 2:45 pm EST), Private Enforcement & Environmental Law: Civil Society Organizations, Public Interests, and Accountability.

Here’s the registration link: https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5bIbkK03QyCy2u_mZge5yQ

More details on this flyer:

Download AD - Private Enforcement Workshop March 12 2021

(H/T: Zach Clopton)

 

 

 

 

Today: Alabama Law Review Virtual Symposium, Ten Years of the Supreme Court's Personal Jurisdiction Revival

It’s not too late to register for the Alabama Law Review’s virtual symposium (via Zoom), Ten Years of the Supreme Court’s Personal Jurisdiction Revival. The program will run from 9:00am–3:30pm central time. You can register here.

Hope to see you all soon!