Federal Question Jurisdiction – Paul Mollica's Federal Courts Blog

Exhibition of Van Gogh Painting in Illinois Did Not Establish Personal Jurisdiction Over Ownership Dispute There, Holds Seventh Circuit

In Schoeps v Sompo Holdings, Inc., No. 25-1405 (7th Cir. Nov. 21, 2025), the Seventh Circuit holds that the happenstance of an artwork, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers (1888), having once been exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago did not create personal jurisdiction to sue over the painting’s ownership in Illinois. The heirs (Schoeps) of “PaulContinue reading “Exhibition of Van Gogh Painting in Illinois Did Not Establish Personal Jurisdiction Over Ownership Dispute There, Holds Seventh Circuit”

In Wullschleger v. Royal Canin U.S.A., Inc., No. 22-1796 (8th Cir. July 31, 2023), on its second trip to the Eighth Circuit, the court holds that a class-action plaintiff successfully outfoxed the defendants by promptly amending their removed complaint to strike out all federal-law allegations, thus depriving the district court of subject-matter jurisdiction. This isContinue reading “Eighth Circuit Holds That There Is No Subject-Matter Jurisdiction Over Removed Case Once Plaintiff Amends Their Complaint to Strip Out All Federal-Law Allegations, Noting Split with Second and Fifth Circuits”

In Patel v. Hamilton Medical Center, Inc., No. 19-13088 (11th Cir. July 30, 2020), the Eleventh Circuit holds that there is no federal-question subject matter jurisdiction over a declaratory action brought by a doctor against a hospital for suspending his privileges. Although the plaintiff’s claim arose under state law (and the parties were apparently non-diverse),Continue reading “No Federal-Question Jurisdiction Over Declaratory Action Complaint to Block Federal-Law Defense, Holds Eleventh Circuit”