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Semtek International Inc. v. Lockheed Martin Corp. Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: A federal court sitting in diversity dismissed a case on statute-of-limitations grounds. The Supreme Court held that the preclusive effect of this judgment in a subsequent state court action is determined by the preclusion law of the state where the federal court sat.
Legal Significance: Establishes that federal common law governs the preclusive effect of federal diversity judgments, and the content of that federal common law is the preclusion law of the state in which the federal court sits, advancing principles established in Erie R. Co. v. Tompkins.
Semtek International Inc. v. Lockheed Martin Corp. Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Semtek International Inc. sued Lockheed Martin Corp. in California state court. Lockheed removed the case to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California based on diversity of citizenship. The federal court dismissed Semtek’s claims as barred by California’s two-year statute of limitations, issuing an order dismissing the claims “on the merits and with prejudice.” Semtek then filed the same suit in a Maryland state court, which had a longer, three-year statute of limitations that had not yet expired. The Maryland court dismissed the second suit on res judicata grounds, holding that the federal court’s dismissal was claim-preclusive. The Maryland Court of Special Appeals affirmed. It reasoned that the res judicata effect of a federal diversity judgment is prescribed by federal law, and under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b), the prior dismissal was an “adjudication upon the merits” with claim-preclusive effect. The U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari to resolve the question of what law governs the preclusive effect of a federal diversity judgment.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Is the claim-preclusive effect of a federal court’s judgment in a diversity action determined by a uniform federal rule or by the law of the state in which the federal court sits?
Reversed and remanded. The claim-preclusive effect of the California federal court’s dismissal 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 rep
IRAC Legal Analysis
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Legal Issue
Is the claim-preclusive effect of a federal court’s judgment in a diversity action determined by a uniform federal rule or by the law of the state in which the federal court sits?
Conclusion
This case clarifies that for diversity jurisdiction cases, the preclusive effect of 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 e
Legal Rule
The claim-preclusive effect of a judgment rendered by a federal court sitting 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
Legal Analysis
The Court first rejected the argument that Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 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, co
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- The claim-preclusive effect of a federal court judgment in a diversity