Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureRelease 119-73
§1652 State laws as rules of decision
Title 28 › Part PART V— - PROCEDURE › Chapter CHAPTER 111— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 1652
Full Legal Text
Title 28, §1652
Judiciary and Judicial Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
The laws of the several states, except where the Constitution or treaties of the United States or Acts of Congress otherwise require or provide, shall be regarded as rules of decision in civil actions in the courts of the United States, in cases where they apply.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical Revision NotesBased on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 725 (R.S. § 721). “Civil actions” was substituted for “trials at common law” to clarify the meaning of the Rules of Decision Act in the light of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Such Act has been held to apply to suits in equity. Changes were made in phraseology.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
28 U.S.C. § 1652
Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73