Personal jurisdiction refers to the power that a court has to make a decision regarding the party being sued in a case. Before a court can exercise power over a party, the U.S. Constitution requires that the party has certain minimum contacts...
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
(Wex page)
Pleading is the beginning stage of a lawsuit in which parties formally submit their claims and defenses.
OverviewThe plaintiff submits a complaint stating the cause of action. The defendant submits an answer stating his or her defenses...
(Wex page)
Res judicata translates to "a matter judged."
OverviewGenerally, res judicata is the principle that a cause of action may not be relitigated once it has been judged on the merits. "Finality" is the term which refers to when a court renders a...
(Wex page)
A summary judgment is a judgment entered by a court for one party and against another party without a full trial.
OverviewIn civil cases, either party may make a pre-trial motion for summary judgment.
Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of...
(Wex page)
Temporary restraining orders (TRO) are short-term pre-trial temporary injunctions. To obtain a TRO, a party must convince the judge that he or she will suffer immediate irreparable injury unless the order is issued. If the judge is convinced that a...
(LIIBULLETIN preview)
Unitherm Food Systems ("Unitherm"), a manufacturer and supplier of food processing machinery, sued Swift-Eckrich, doing business as ConAgra Refrigerated Foods ("ConAgra"), for defrauding the Patent Office, misrepresenting itself to Unitherm, improperly...