Thermtron Revisited: When and How Federal Trial Court Remand Orders Are Reviewable
![handle is hein.journals/arzjl19 and id is 409 raw text is: ARTICLES
Thermtron Revisited: When and How
Federal Trial Court Remand Orders are
Reviewable
Mark Herrmann*
When a defendant removes an action from state court to federal
district court, either the plaintiff or the court itself may question the
propriety of removal.' If the district court refuses to remand the case
to state court, that decision, like most other interlocutory orders, is
reviewable only on appeal from final judgment.2 If, however, the
* Princeton University, A.B., 1979; The University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 1983.
Mr. Herrmann practices with the San Francisco law firm of Steinhart & Falconer. He is indebted
to Neil Falconer for invaluable comments on early drafts of this article. He also thanks Hope
Curry for her endless patience re-typing and re-numbering.
1. If neither party challenges the court's jurisdiction, the court may raise the issue sua
sponte. See, e.g., McNutt v. General Motors Acceptance Corp., 298 U.S. 178, 184 (1936);
Girand v. Kimbell Milling Co., 116 F.2d 999, 1000 (5th Cir. 1941); Nixon v. O'Callaghan, 392
F. Supp. 1081, 1084 (S.D.N.Y. 1975). See also 14A C. WRIGHT, A. MILLER & E. COOPER,
FEDERAL PRACTICE & PROCEDURE, § 3739, at 573 & n.4 (1977) [hereinafter WRIGHT & MILLER].
2. See, e.g., American Fire & Casualty Co. v. Finn, 341 U.S. 6, 18 (1951); Rohrer, Hibler
& Replogle, Inc. v. Perkins, 728 F.2d 860, 861 (7th Cir. 1984); Lewis v. Time Inc., 710 F.2d
549, 552 (9th Cir. 1983); La Chemise Lacoste v. Alligator Co., 506 F.2d 339, 341-42 (3d
Cir. 1974), cert. denied, 421 U.S. 937 (1975); Annotation, Appealability of Federal District Court
Order Denying Motion to Remand Cause to State Court, 21 A.L.R.2d 760, 761 (1952). In rare
instances, interlocutory review may be available. See 28 U.S.C. § 1651 (review by extraordinary
writ); 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b) (review by interlocutory appeal). See generally Poirrier v. Nicklos
Drilling Co., 648 F.2d 1063, 1065 (5th Cir. 1981) (discussing possibility of review by writ or
interlocutory appeal). If the district court wants appellate guidance on the propriety of removal,
it can deny remand and certify that order. See Study of the Division of Jurisdiction Between
State and Federal Courts 84 (1969). See also Note, Remand Order Review After Thermtron
Products, 1977 U. ILL. L.F. 1086, 1093-94 n.69.](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/arzjl19&div=25&collection=journals&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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Thermtron Revisited: When and How Federal Trial Court Remand Orders Are Reviewable
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