Document Type

Article

Disciplines

Civil Procedure

Abstract

Personal jurisdiction doctrine should be understood largely in relation to the substantive law. The doctrine makes sense when it is in harmony with state substantive law. It fails to cohere to the extent that it diverges from state substantive law. In the case of products liabilhiy law, which was at issue in the most recent personal jurisdiction case to come before the Court, personal jurisdiction doctrine attempts to balance the social obigation to produce safe products with immunity from suit. Until recently, the Roberts Court had failed to harmonize personal jurisdiction with substantive state law; indeed, it had usurped state law. The decision in Ford Motor Co. v. Montana Eighth Judicial District Court reverses this trend.

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