Abstract
Section 1441(b) of the removal statute prohibits removal of a diversity case if a defendant is a citizen of the state in which the case was originally filed. The bar to removal is known as the Forum Defendant Rule. Is removal in violation of the Forum Defendant Rule a jurisdictional or nonjurisdictional defect? The characterization matters because a jurisdictional defect can be raised at any time, while a nonjurisdictional defect must be raised within a specific period of time or is waived. The Supreme Court has not resolved the characterization, but a number of circuit courts, including the Eighth Circuit, have characterized the Forum Defendant Rule, and in different ways. This article surveys those characterizations and provides guidance for practitioners in Arkansas and other states in the Eighth Circuit.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2007
Publication Information
2007 Arkansas Law Notes 73-81
Repository Citation
Dodson, Scott, "The Forum Defendant Rule in Arkansas" (2007). Faculty Publications. 1120.
https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/facpubs/1120