Texas
How Burger King Corp. v. Rudzewicz applies in Texas: state-specific rules, key cases, and bar exam notes for Civil Procedure - Personal Jurisdiction.
Texas follows a minimum contacts analysis similar to the federal standard when determining personal jurisdiction, applying both the due process clause and the Texas long-arm statute. Courts evaluate the defendant's contacts with Texas to ensure fair play and substantial justice.
Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 17.042, a court may exercise personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant if the defendant has established minimum contacts with Texas that are purposeful and foreseeable.
The Texas Supreme Court upheld the exercise of personal jurisdiction based on the defendant’s substantial and ongoing business relationship with Texas.
The court found that mere purchasing activities and contacts with Texas were insufficient to establish personal jurisdiction over a foreign corporation.
The court emphasized that a non-resident’s contact must be deliberate and connect the defendant to Texas to fulfill jurisdictional requirements.
Texas's approach mirrors the federal standard established in International Shoe Co. v. Washington, focusing on minimum contacts and the reasonableness of jurisdiction. However, Texas has its own long-arm statute, which may provide more specific criteria for establishing jurisdiction than the general federal principles.
The concepts in Burger King Corp. v. Rudzewicz, particularly concerning personal jurisdiction, are frequently tested on the Texas bar exam, especially applying minimum contacts and fairness doctrines.