Against Certification

51 Pages Posted: 22 Aug 2009

See all articles by Justin R. Long

Justin R. Long

Wayne State University Law School

Date Written: August 10, 2009

Abstract

Certification is the process whereby federal courts, confronted by an open question of state law in federal litigation, ask the relevant state high court to decide the state law question. If the state high court chooses to answer, its statement of state law stands as the definitive declaration of the law on the disputed point. The case then returns to the certifying federal court, which resolves any remaining issues, including federal questions, and then issues a mandate. Although a wide range of academic commentators and jurists support certification as an example of respect for state autonomy, this Article shows that in both practice and theory certification does not reflect real comity. Rather, certification is an example of 'dual federalism,' the view that state and federal law ought to be isolated into separate spheres of jurisprudence. For federal courts to show genuine respect for state law, they should stop treating it as foreign and decide open state law questions without certification.

Keywords: certification, federalism, comity, Erie, passive virtues

Suggested Citation

Long, Justin R., Against Certification (August 10, 2009). George Washington Law Review, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1458330

Justin R. Long (Contact Author)

Wayne State University Law School ( email )

471 Palmer
Detroit, MI 48202
United States

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