Joining Circuit Split, Ninth Circuit Holds That District Court May Not Establish Diversity of Citizenship by Judicial Notice

In Rosenwald v. Kimberly-Clark Corp., No. 24-299 (9th Cir. Sept. 24, 2025), the Ninth Circuit dismisses an appeal for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction, holding that the district court erred in taking judicial notice of the corporate defendant’s citizenship. It thus took the side of the Tenth Circuit, which holds that a court cannot judicially noticeContinue reading “Joining Circuit Split, Ninth Circuit Holds That District Court May Not Establish Diversity of Citizenship by Judicial Notice”

En Banc Ninth Circuit Overrules Case Authority That Personal Jurisdiction Over an Online Business Requires That Its Marketing Be Shown to Have a “Forum-Specific Focus”

In Briskin v. Shopify, No. 22-15815 (9th Cir. Apr. 21, 2025) (en banc), the Ninth Circuit considers a customer privacy claim by a California resident against a Canadian online retailer and its American subsidiaries. The court (10-1) reverses the lower court’s dismissal on personal jurisdiction grounds, overruling AMA Multimedia, LLC v. Wanat, 970 F.3d 1201Continue reading “En Banc Ninth Circuit Overrules Case Authority That Personal Jurisdiction Over an Online Business Requires That Its Marketing Be Shown to Have a “Forum-Specific Focus””

En Banc Ninth Circuit Panelists Clash Over Validity of a Video Dissent

In Duncan v. Bonta, No. 23-55805 (9th Cir. Mar. 30, 2025) (en banc) – a Second Amendment challenge to California’s ban on large-capacity magazines – the en banc Ninth Circuit debates whether a judge could validly file a video dissent that displays handguns and describing their operation. Judge Richard Posner of the Seventh Circuit brokeContinue reading “En Banc Ninth Circuit Panelists Clash Over Validity of a Video Dissent”

Hindu Professors at State University Lacked Article III Standing to Challenge School’s “Caste” Discrimination Policy, Holds Ninth Circuit

In Kumar v. Koester, No. 23-4363 (9th Cir. Mar. 12, 2025), the Ninth Circuit dismisses a constitutional challenge to California State University’s anti-discrimination policy that was recently amended to add “caste” as a protected status. Effective January 1, 2022, CSU’s “Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Exploitation, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, Stalking, and RetaliationContinue reading “Hindu Professors at State University Lacked Article III Standing to Challenge School’s “Caste” Discrimination Policy, Holds Ninth Circuit”

There Is No “On-The-Job” Exception to Expert Witness Qualification Under Fed. R. Evid. 702, Holds the Ninth Circuit

In United States v. Holmes, No. 22-10312 (9th Cir. Feb. 24, 2025), the Theranos/Elizabeth Holmes fraud prosecution, the Ninth Circuit affirms the convictions and sentences. It acknowledges the defense argument that a former Theranos scientist should not have been allowed to offer Fed. R. Evid. 702 expert testimony as an occurrence witness, without being qualified,Continue reading “There Is No “On-The-Job” Exception to Expert Witness Qualification Under Fed. R. Evid. 702, Holds the Ninth Circuit”

Parties’ Mutual Mistake about Legal Basis of Restitutionary Remedy Did Not Overcome Express Waiver of Seventh Amendment Jury Right, Holds Ninth Circuit

In Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. CashCall, Inc., No. 23-55259 (9th Cir. Jan. 3, 2025), the Ninth Circuit holds the defendant to its express waiver of a Seventh Amendment jury right, affirming an award of more than $134 million in legal restitution against it. The panel declines to excuse the jury waiver on the groundContinue reading “Parties’ Mutual Mistake about Legal Basis of Restitutionary Remedy Did Not Overcome Express Waiver of Seventh Amendment Jury Right, Holds Ninth Circuit”

The Fifth and Ninth Circuits Reach Opposite Outcomes in Immigration Cases Where the United States Invokes Intergovernmental Immunity Against State and Local Governments

Last week, in United States v. King Cnty., No. 23-35362 (9th Cir. Nov. 29, 2024) and State of Texas v. U.S. Dep’t of Homeland Security, No. 23-50869 (5th Cir. Nov. 27, 2024), the Fifth and Ninth Circuits follow different paths on the scope of intergovernmental immunity to insulate federal agency actions to enforce federal immigrationContinue reading “The Fifth and Ninth Circuits Reach Opposite Outcomes in Immigration Cases Where the United States Invokes Intergovernmental Immunity Against State and Local Governments”

Ninth Circuit Reassigns a Case Where the Judge and Defendant Formerly Clerked Together for the Same Ninth Circuit Judge

In Creech v. U.S. Dist. Ct. for the District of Idaho, No. 24-4455 (9th Cir. Oct. 16, 2024), the Ninth Circuit grants mandamus to remove a district court judge in a case where the judge admitted a long-term friendship with one of the defendants, going back to when they were Ninth Circuit clerks. This comesContinue reading “Ninth Circuit Reassigns a Case Where the Judge and Defendant Formerly Clerked Together for the Same Ninth Circuit Judge”

Ninth Circuit Resolves Intracircuit Conflict on Law-of-the-Case, Tightening Standard for Successor Judge Reconsideration of Prior Decisions

In Zeyen v. Bonneville Joint Dist., No. 23-35438 (9th Cir. Aug. 23, 2024), the Ninth Circuit holds that when an open case is reassigned to a new district court judge, the successor may only reverse a predecessor’s decision when it is both “clearly erroneous and . . . its enforcement would work a manifest injustice.”Continue reading “Ninth Circuit Resolves Intracircuit Conflict on Law-of-the-Case, Tightening Standard for Successor Judge Reconsideration of Prior Decisions”

Fugitive-Disentitlement Doctrine Dooms Criminal Appeal of Defendant Who Fled the Country, Holds Ninth Circuit

Another case involving one of my favorite federal common law rules: in United States v. Terabelian, No. 21-50291 (9th Cir. June 27, 2024), the Ninth Circuit dismisses the direct appeal of a criminal conviction on the ground that the defendant removed her location-monitoring device and fled to country to Montenegro before sentencing, citing the fugitive-disentitlementContinue reading “Fugitive-Disentitlement Doctrine Dooms Criminal Appeal of Defendant Who Fled the Country, Holds Ninth Circuit”