Glossary · Civil Procedure
Personal Jurisdiction
personal-jurisdiction-2b0192301f98565f-2026-07-28
- Type
- Glossary
- Jurisdiction
- National
- Date
- 2026-07-28
- Topic
- Civil Procedure
A court's power over a particular defendant, which generally requires that the defendant have sufficient contacts with the state where the court sits. A company can be sued where it is at home, or where it purposefully directed activities that gave rise to the claim. Without personal jurisdiction, any judgment against the defendant is void.
Definition
A court's power over a particular defendant, which generally requires that the defendant have sufficient contacts with the state where the court sits. A company can be sued where it is at home, or where it purposefully directed activities that gave rise to the claim. Without personal jurisdiction, any judgment against the defendant is void.
Personal Jurisdiction. A court's power over a particular defendant, which generally requires that the defendant have sufficient contacts with the state where the court sits. A company can be sued where it is at home, or where it purposefully directed activities that gave rise to the claim. Without personal jurisdiction, any judgment against the defendant is void. Example: The Delaware court dismissed the case because the German supplier had no contacts with Delaware beyond a single trade-show visit.