Legal Definitions - forum shopping

Definition: Forum shopping is when someone tries to choose the court that will be most favorable to their case. This can happen between different states, between federal and state courts in the same state, or between courts in different countries. Although it is still allowed in some cases, forum shopping is generally discouraged in the legal system because of the Erie Doctrine and other conflict of law rules.

Example: A person might choose to sue a big company in a state court instead of a federal court because they think the local jury will be more likely to agree with them. Another example is when someone prefers one court over another because of its rules or procedures.

Explanation: These examples show how someone might try to choose a court that will be more likely to rule in their favor. This is called forum shopping. However, the legal system tries to discourage this because it can be unfair to the other party. The Erie Doctrine is one way that the legal system tries to prevent forum shopping by requiring federal courts to apply the same laws as state courts in certain cases.