Ashcroft v. Iqbal

Holding court need not credit "mere conclusory statements" in complaint

Haines v. Kerner

Holding pro se submissions "to less stringent standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers"

Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc.

Holding that a private defamation plaintiff cannot recover punitive damages without proving actual malice

Chambers v. Time Warner, Inc.

Holding extrinsic materials were not "integral" to the complaint because the complaint "d[id] not refer to the[m]" and "plaintiffs apparently did not rely on them in drafting it"

Matsushita Elec. Industrial Co. v. Epstein

Holding that the Exchange Act's exclusive-jurisdiction provision sought "to achieve greater uniformity of construction and more effective and expert application of that law"

Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc. v. Hepps

Holding that where plaintiff is a private figure and newspaper articles are a matter of public concern, there is a "constitutional requirement that the plaintiff bear the burden of showing falsity, as well as fault, before recovering damages"

Howell v. New York Post Co.

Holding that the elements of intentional infliction of emotional distress are: " extreme and outrageous conduct; intent to cause, or disregard of a substantial probability of causing, severe emotional distress; a causal connection between the conduct and injury; and severe emotional distress."

Ruston v. Town Bd. for Town Skaneateles

Holding “that the pleading standard set out in Iqbal supersedes the ‘general allegation' deemed sufficient in DeMuria”

Dillon v. City of New York

Holding that "[d]efamation has long been recognized to arise from the making of a false statement which tends to expose the plaintiff to public contempt, ridicule, aversion or disgrace, or induce an evil opinion of him in the minds of right-thinking persons, and to deprive him of their friendly intercourse in society."

Liberman v. Gelstein

Holding an interloper's statements to the party (potentially slanderous per se because "tend[ing] to injure [the counter-party] in his or her trade, business or profession") could subject the interloper to liability for tortious interference if the party declined to proceed with the transaction on that basis

Rule 12 - Defenses and Objections: When and How Presented; Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings; Consolidating Motions; Waiving Defenses; Pretrial Hearing

Granting the court discretion to exclude matters outside the pleadings presented to the court in defense of a motion to dismiss

Section 1332 - Diversity of citizenship; amount in controversy; costs

Holding district court has jurisdiction over action between diverse citizens "where the matter in controversy exceeds the sum or value of $75,000"

Section 1441 - Removal of civil actions

Holding that “[a]ny civil action of which the district courts have original jurisdiction founded on a claim or right arising under the ... laws of the United States shall be removable without regard to the citizenship or residence of the parties.”

Rule 11 - Signing Pleadings, Motions, and Other Papers; Representations to the Court; Sanctions

Holding an "unrepresented party" to the same standard as an attorney

Section 1738 - State and Territorial statutes and judicial proceedings; full faith and credit

Referring to "[t]he Acts of the legislature" in the full faith and credit context

Rule 3 - Commencing an Action

Stating that once the inmate has filed his motion with the clerk, "[t]he clerk must file the motion and enter it on the criminal docket of the case in which the challenged judgment was entered"

Rule 44.1 - Determining Foreign Law

Noting the court's determination of foreign law is treated as a question of law

Section 51 - Action for injunction and for damages

Affording cause of action for commercial use of name or picture without prior written consent

Section 74 - Privileges in action for libel