Opinion ID: 1358320
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: REFUSAL TO CONSIDER APPELLANTS' ARGUMENT FOR A FINDING OF PERSONAL JURISDICTION PURSUANT TO FED. R. CIV. P. 4(k)(2) OR ITS REQUEST FOR TRANSFER TO MICHIGAN

Text: The District Court did not address either appellants' assertion that the court had jurisdiction over DCAG pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 4(k)(2), or their request for transfer, because both exceeded the scope of the supplemental briefing order. According to the Local Court Rules for the Northern District of California, once a reply is filed, no additional memoranda, papers or letters may be filed without prior Court approval. N.D. CAL. CIV. R. 7-3(d); see also Spacey v. Burgar, 207 F.Supp.2d 1037, 1053-54 (C.D.Cal.2001) (denying plaintiff's motion to reconsider due to newly presented evidence of 4(k)(2) jurisdiction because ... [plaintiff] made a deliberate choice not to include the argument in his initial opposition to Defendant's Motion). Furthermore, if a party first raises an issue in a motion which the district court refused to consider because it was untimely and in contravention of local rules,  and does not appeal the district court's procedural ruling, the issue is waived. Palmer v. IRS, 116 F.3d 1309, 1312-13(9th Cir. 1997) (emphasis added). When the District Court issued its tentative ruling in favor of DCAG, it requested supplemental briefing solely on the agency relationship and the adequacy of alternative fora. The 4(k)(2) argument and request for transfer were, therefore, in contravention of the local rules. See N.D. CAL. CIV. R. 7-3(d). Regardless, because appellants repeated their substantive argument rather than address the procedural ruling in their brief, this argument is waived. See Palmer, 116 F.3d at 1312-13.