Skelly Oil Co. v. Phillips Petroleum Co.

United States Supreme Court

339 U.S. 667 (1950)

Relevant factsFree

Phillips (plaintiff) sued Skelly, Stanolind, and Magnolia (defendants) under the Declaratory Judgment Act seeking a declaration that gas-purchase contracts remained valid after each defendant tried to terminate; Phillips's complaint asserted no independent basis of diversity or federal-question jurisdiction against Skelly or Stanolind (though diversity existed against Magnolia).

IssueFree

Whether claims brought pursuant to the Declaratory Judgment Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2201, must still establish diversity or federal subject matter jurisdiction to be brought in federal court.

Holding & reasoning

The court resolved the question by applying the controlling rule to the facts and explaining precisely why the outcome followed. Its reasoning ties the doctrine to the record so you can reproduce the analysis on an exam.

Procedural history, concurrence & dissent

This section traces the case from the trial court through appeal and lays out how each opinion lands. Separate writings sharpen the majority's limits and flag the arguments most likely to resurface in class.

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