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McGee v. International Life Insurance Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: An out-of-state insurance company sold a single policy to a California resident. When the company refused to pay, the Supreme Court held that California courts could constitutionally exercise jurisdiction over the company for a lawsuit arising from that one policy.
Legal Significance: This case represents the high-water mark for specific personal jurisdiction, establishing that a single, purposeful contact with a forum state can be sufficient for jurisdiction if the lawsuit arises from that contact and the state has a strong interest in the litigation.
McGee v. International Life Insurance Law School Study Guide
Use this case brief structure for your own legal analysis. Focus on the IRAC methodology to excel in law school exams and cold calls.
Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
In 1944, a California resident, Lowell Franklin, purchased a life insurance policy from an Arizona company. In 1948, respondent, International Life Insurance Co., a Texas corporation, assumed the Arizona company’s insurance obligations. Respondent mailed a reinsurance certificate to Franklin in California, and he accepted. Franklin paid his premiums by mail from California to respondent’s Texas office until his death in 1950. The petitioner, Lulu McGee, was the policy’s beneficiary. When respondent refused to pay the claim, alleging suicide, McGee obtained a judgment against respondent in a California state court. Respondent, which had no office or agent in California, was served by registered mail in Texas pursuant to a California statute authorizing jurisdiction over foreign insurers based on policies with California residents. The Texas courts refused to enforce the California judgment, holding it void for lack of personal jurisdiction. The record indicated that the policy in question was respondent’s only insurance business in California.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment permit a state court to exercise personal jurisdiction over a foreign corporation whose sole contact with the forum state is the single insurance contract that forms the basis of the suit?
Yes. The California court’s exercise of jurisdiction over the Texas-based respondent did Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lore
IRAC Legal Analysis
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IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the exact format professors want to see in your exam answers. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full briefs combine holding, analysis, and rule statements formatted to match what A+ students produce in exams. These structured briefs help reinforce the essential legal reasoning patterns expected in law school.
Legal Issue
Does the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment permit a state court to exercise personal jurisdiction over a foreign corporation whose sole contact with the forum state is the single insurance contract that forms the basis of the suit?
Conclusion
McGee v. International Life Insurance Co. significantly expanded the reach of specific Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo co
Legal Rule
Due process is satisfied, and a state may exercise personal jurisdiction over Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercit
Legal Analysis
The Court continued its evolution away from the rigid territorial-based jurisdictional rules Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adi
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- A state court can constitutionally exercise specific personal jurisdiction over a