Legal Definitions - pendent party jurisdiction

Pendent party jurisdiction is a legal term that refers to a type of supplemental jurisdiction. It means that if a federal court has jurisdiction over a claim, it can also decide any other related questions, whether they are federal or state law. This is important because it allows all related legal issues to be resolved in one case, making the process more efficient.

For example, if someone sues a company for violating a federal law, and also has a state law claim against the same company, the federal court can hear both claims together. This is because they arise from the same set of facts, and it would be more efficient to resolve them together.

The idea of pendent party jurisdiction was first established in a 1933 case called Hurn v. Oursler. The Supreme Court later refined the doctrine in a 1966 case called United Mine Workers v. Gibbs. Congress later codified the doctrine in 28 U.S.C. § 1367.