Personal Jurisdiction, Comparativism, and Ford

The March 2021 decision of Ford Motor Co. v. Montana Eighth Judicial District completes the triangulation of specific personal jurisdiction under the U.S. Constitution. Combined with the Court’s recent narrowing of general jurisdiction and the Court’s longstanding adherence to tag jurisdiction and consent-based jurisdiction, personal jurisdiction in the United States is developing contours that are more defined and concrete. What does this state of personal jurisdiction mean for future developments? And how does it compare to the way other countries have structured personal jurisdiction? This symposium essay offers answers to those questions.