International Shoe Co. v. Washington

Case Overview

International Shoe Co. v. Washington established the modern standard for personal jurisdiction, holding that a state court may exercise jurisdiction over an out-of-state defendant if the defendant has minimum contacts with the forum state such that maintenance of the suit does not offend traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice. The decision replaced the rigid Pennoyer v. Neff territorial rule and remains the foundational case in civil procedure.