Also known as: forums · fora
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A court or other judicial body. The term also denotes the place where a court sits and exercises jurisdiction over a dispute.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Frostline Textiles and its suppliers face multiple consumer claims over defective fabric. Plaintiffs seek certification under Rule 23(b)(3) in federal court in State A. The court weighs whether concentrating the claims in that forum would promote efficiency given the parties' contacts and the absence of prior litigation elsewhere.
Judge Forrest Falconer receives a request from his sister to represent her in a contract dispute. He declines because the rule bars a judge from serving as a family member's lawyer in any forum even without compensation.
Falcon Dynamics sells components to a distributor that resells them nationwide. One unit reaches a buyer in State C and causes injury. The buyer sues in State C court. The court finds that mere awareness the product might reach the forum state does not create personal jurisdiction over the foreign manufacturer.
Francois Fortier and his former spouse litigate custody of their child in State X. Both parents and the child now live in State Y. All other courts decline jurisdiction on the ground that State Y is the more appropriate forum under the uniform act.
Finn Fletcher seeks custody of his child after the other parent moves abroad. No other state meets the jurisdictional prerequisites of the uniform act. The court in State Z assumes jurisdiction because it is in the child's best interest and no other forum is available.
Frederick Ferguson sells land located in State M. A dispute arises in State N over title. The court in State N applies the totality of State M law including its choice-of-law rules so that the outcome matches what a State M court would reach.
It refers to the court in which the litigation would be concentrated. Courts consider the desirability of concentrating claims in that particular forum when deciding whether to certify a class under Rule 23(b)(3).
No. The rule prohibits a judge from serving as the lawyer for a family member in any forum even if the representation is uncompensated.
No. Mere awareness that a product may reach the forum state is insufficient for personal jurisdiction when the defendant has not purposefully availed itself of that forum.
…requires only that in order to subject a defendant to a judgment in personam , if he be not present within the territory of the forum, he have certain minimum contacts with it such that the maintenance of the suit does not offend “traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice.” Milliken v. Meyer , 311 U. S.…