Conflict of Laws

Study content for Conflict of Laws: notes, practice MCQs and flashcards across 7 syllabus topics. This is AI-generated draft content — citations have not yet been independently verified.

Syllabus

• Personal JurisdictionTopic

  Transient/tag presence jurisdiction · Minimum contacts (International Shoe) · Purposeful availment and foreseeability

• Choice of Law — TortsTopic

  Traditional lex loci delicti (First Restatement) · Babcock v. Jackson center-of-gravity/most-significant-relationship shift · Restatement Second §§145-146 most-significant-relationship factors

• Choice of Law — ContractsTopic

  Party autonomy and express choice-of-law clauses · Limits on party autonomy (public policy, mandatory rules) · Restatement Second §§187-188 most-significant-relationship test

• Recognition of Judgments (Full Faith and Credit)Topic

  Full Faith and Credit Clause (Art. IV § 1) · Jurisdictional attacks on sister-state judgments · Exceptions: fraud, public policy limits

• Choice of Law — Family Law (Marriage, Divorce, Status)Topic

  Essential validity of marriage (domicile rule) · Formal validity (place of celebration / lex loci celebrationis) · Capacity and age requirements across states

• Erie Doctrine and Federal-State Choice of LawTopic

  Erie Railroad v. Tompkins (1938) — no general federal common law · Klaxon rule — federal courts apply forum state's conflict rules · Substance vs. procedure distinction

• Choice of Law — PropertyTopic

  Situs rule for immovables (lex situs governs) · Movables — domicile or most-significant-relationship · Succession and wills — domicile of deceased for movables

• Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins

  What is the constitutional foundation for personal jurisdiction?

  302 U.S. 671
• International Shoe Co. v. Washington

  What is the International Shoe standard for personal jurisdiction?

  326 U.S. 310
• World-Wide Volkswagen Corp. v. Woodson

  Define 'purposeful availment' in the context of personal jurisdiction.

  444 U.S. 286