Supreme Court Decision Syllabus (SCOTUS Podcast)
Following what the Supreme Court is actually doing can be daunting. Reporting on the subject is often only done within the context of political narratives of the day -- and following the Court's decisions and reading every new case can be a non-starter. The purpose of this Podcast is to make it as easy as possible for members of the public to source information about what is happening at the Supreme Court. For that reason, we read every Opinion Syllabus without any commentary whatsoever. Further, there are no advertisements or sponsors. We call it "information sourcing," and we hope that the podcast is a useful resource for members of the public who want to understand the legal issues of the day, prospective law students who want to get to know legal language and understand good legal writing, and attorneys who can use the podcast to be better advocates for their clients.
*Note this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.
Supreme Court Decision Syllabus (SCOTUS Podcast)
Royal Canin USA Inc. v. Wullschleger (Federal Jurisdiction)
Royal Canin U.S.A., Inc. v. Wullschleger (Decided January 15, 2025)
In Royal Canin U.S.A., Inc. v. Wullschleger, the Supreme Court addressed whether a federal court retains supplemental jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. §1367 when a plaintiff amends their complaint to remove all federal claims after a case is removed to federal court.
The case arose after Wullschleger sued Royal Canin in state court, asserting both federal and state claims. Following removal to federal court, Wullschleger amended her complaint, eliminating the federal claims and seeking remand to state court. The Court held that when federal claims are removed from an amended complaint, federal courts lose supplemental jurisdiction over the remaining state-law claims, requiring remand to state court. Justice Kagan, writing for a unanimous Court, emphasized that federal jurisdiction must be assessed based on the operative complaint.
Justice Kagan delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court.