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In personam

Literally, "against the person". In personam refers to courts' power to adjudicate matters directed against a party, as distinguished from in-rem proceedings over disputed property.

A court with jurisdiction over a particular location may exercise in personam jursidiction over a person who resides, maintains connections, or is served notice of legal proceedings in that location. It may also exercise jurisdiction over a person who consents to be subject to it.

In personam judgments can be enforced against the person where she is, while disputes over property must take place in its particular location.

See In rem, Jurisdiction, Injunction, Civil procedure, Personal Jurisdiction

Definition from Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary

(in-purr-soh-nam) Latin for "against a person." In a lawsuit against a specific person, this concept means the defendant must be served with a summons and complaint to give the court jurisdiction to try the case, and the judgment the court applies to that person only. Compare: in rem

Definition provided by Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary.

August 19, 2010, 5:17 pm

 

 Historically, the jurisdiction of courts to render judgment in personam is grounded on their de facto power over the defendant's person. Hence, his presence within the territorial jurisdiction of a court was prerequisite to its rendition of a judgment personally binding him. Pennoyer v. Neff, 95 U.S. 714, 733. But now that the capias ad respondendum has given way to personal service of summons or other form of notice, due process requires only that, in order to subject a defendant to a judgment in personam, if he be not present within the territory of the forum, he have certain minimum contacts with it such that the maintenance of the suit does not offend "traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice." Milliken v. Meyer, 311 U.S. 457, 463. See Holmes, J., in McDonald v. Mabee, 243 U.S. 90, 91. Compare Hoopeston Canning Co. v. Cullen, 318 U.S. 313, 316, 319. See Blackmer v. United States, 284 U.S. 421Hess v. Pawloski, 274 U.S. 352Young v. Masci, 289 U.S. 253

 

International Shoe v Washington, 326 US 310 (1945).