link wabash railroad argued april decided june six years institution action petitioner federal district recover damages personal injuries sustained collision petitioner automobile one respondent trains three years petitioner finally prevailed respondent motion judgment pleadings two fixed trial dates postponed september scheduled pretrial conference held hammond october notified counsel sides morning october petitioner counsel telephoned respondent counsel indianapolis expected pretrial conference october petitioner counsel telephoned judge secretary tell judge otherwise engaged indianapolis hammond afternoon october time october pretrial conference reset petitioner counsel failed appear pretrial conference acting sua sponte reviewed history case found petitioner counsel failed indicate reasonable excuse nonappearance dismissed action failure plaintiff counsel appear pretrial failure prosecute action held judgment affirmed pp inherent power federal district courts acting initiative dismiss cases remained dormant inaction dilatoriness parties seeking relief restricted federal rule civil procedure cases defendant moves dismissal pp circumstances dispense necessity advance notice hearing dismissing case pp petitioner bound lawyer conduct basis action dismissed pp record case said district dismissal action failure prosecute amounted abuse discretion pp jay darlington argued cause filed briefs petitioner john bodle argued cause respondent briefs roger branigin george schilling justice harlan delivered opinion petitioner challenges standpoint power discretion district sua sponte dismissal diversity negligence action circumstances follow action growing collision petitioner automobile one respondent trains commenced august six years later three years petitioner finally prevailed respondent motion judgment pleadings time two fixed trial dates postponed district september duly notified counsel side scheduling pretrial conference held courthouse hammond indiana october preceding morning october petitioner counsel telephoned respondent lawyer indianapolis stating work papers expected pretrial conference might attend taking deposition plaintiff scheduled day morning october petitioner counsel telephoned hammond courthouse indianapolis miles away asking judge bench requested judge secretary convey message counsel busy preparing papers file indiana actually engaged argument either thursday afternoon october time friday october pretrial conference reset petitioner counsel appear pretrial conference district reviewing history case finding counsel failed indicate reasonable reason nonappearance dismissed action failure plaintiff counsel appear pretrial failure prosecute action acting two hours appointed hour conference stated dismissal exercise inherent power appeals affirmed divided vote granted certiorari authority federal trial dismiss plaintiff action prejudice failure prosecute seriously doubted power invoke sanction necessary order prevent undue delays disposition pending cases avoid congestion calendars district courts power ancient origin roots judgments non prosequitur entered common law blackstone commentaries dismissals want prosecution bills equity expressly recognized federal rule civil procedure provides pertinent part involuntary dismissal effect thereof failure plaintiff prosecute comply rules order defendant may move dismissal action claim unless order dismissal otherwise specifies dismissal subdivision dismissal provided rule dismissal lack jurisdiction improper venue operates adjudication upon merits read rule implying restriction neither permissive language rule merely authorizes motion defendant policy requires us conclude purpose rule abrogate power courts acting initiative clear calendars cases remained dormant inaction dilatoriness parties seeking relief authority dismiss sua sponte lack prosecution generally considered inherent power governed rule statute control necessarily vested courts manage affairs achieve orderly expeditious disposition cases long gone unquestioned apparent many state decisions sustaining dismissals even language opinion redfield ystalyfera iron also sanction wide usage among district courts require much clearer expression purpose rule provides us assume intended abrogate proposition absence notice possibility dismissal failure hold adversary hearing necessarily render dismissal void true course fundamental requirement due process opportunity heard upon notice proceedings adequate safeguard right constitutional protection invoked anderson national bank luckett mean every order entered without notice preliminary adversary hearing offends due process adequacy notice hearing respecting proceedings may affect party rights turns considerable extent knowledge circumstances show party may taken consequences conduct circumstances dispense necessity advance notice hearing addition availability corrective remedy provided federal rule civil procedure authorizes reopening cases final orders inadvisedly entered renders lack prior notice less consequence petitioner never sought avail escape hatch provided rule accordingly circumstances make action appropriate district may dismiss complaint failure prosecute even without affording notice intention providing adversary hearing acting whether order stand appeal depends power whether within permissible range discretion ii record unable say district dismissal action failure prosecute evidenced partly failure petitioner counsel appear duly scheduled pretrial conference amounted abuse discretion certainly within bounds permissible discretion conclude telephone excuse offered petitioner counsel inadequate explain failure attend reasonably inferred absence well history litigation see note supra petitioner deliberately proceeding dilatory fashion certainly merit contention dismissal petitioner claim counsel unexcused conduct imposes unjust penalty client petitioner voluntarily chose attorney representative action avoid consequences acts omissions freely selected agent notion wholly inconsistent system representative litigation party deemed bound acts considered notice facts notice charged upon attorney smith ayer need decide whether unexplained absence pretrial conference alone justify dismissal prejudice record showed evidence dilatoriness part plaintiff district case relied circumstances brought attention including earlier delays appeals expressly rest judgment petitioner failure prosecute nonetheless set entire history case including statement made district judge secretary oldest civil case docket noted district considered absence pretrial conference light history litigation circumstances surrounding counsel action case held abuse discretion dismissing action circumstances case obviously amounts broader holding failure appear pretrial conference may context evidence delay considered district justifying dismissal prejudice need consider whether district abusing discretion rejected motion rule accompanied adequate explanation absence petitioner counsel pretrial conference motion ever made nothing record us indicate counsel failure attend pretrial conference deliberate product neglect finally case failure comply order due inability fostered neither petitioner conduct circumstances within control societe internationale rogers petitioner counsel received due notice scheduling pretrial conference heard say foreseen consequences default attendance affirmed justice white took part consideration decision case justice douglas dissents footnotes history litigation appears opinion appeals august plaintiff william link filed complaint district defendant wabash railroad company recover damages injuries alleged sustained drove automobile collision defendant train standing across highway indiana september defendant appeared filed answer complaint april defendant filed motion judgment pleadings october hearing motion november district granted defendant motion judgment pleadings ordered cause dismissed order dismissal plaintiff appealed october reversed remanded case trial certiorari denied february march mandate filed district subsequently trial set case trial july june motion plaintiff defendant objecting trial date july vacated cause continued august defendant filed interrogatories plaintiff answer february trial initiative gave notice parties pursuant local rule omitted cause dismissed march unless ordered otherwise march plaintiff filed answers defendant interrogatories march hearing show cause order june trial entered order retaining case docket setting trial july july defendant motion plaintiff agreed trial date july vacated case continued march defendant filed additional interrogatories plaintiff answer april extension time granted trial plaintiff filed answers additional interrogatories september pursuant local rule effective march district caused notice mailed counsel parties scheduling conference case held october see fed rules civ infra cage cage carnegie national bank city wolf point hicks bekins moving storage zielinski american national bank trust shotkin westinghouse elec mfg slavitt meader see des moines union district iowa doughty terminal mo frytez gruchacz reed first national bank moshannon national bank iron mountain ranch wyo cf hartford accident indemnity sorrells thompson foote ark koon barmettler issue case whether plaintiff entitled recover interest refund claim customs duties paid protest holding interest period suit remained dormant allowed justice matthews speaking unanimous said delay prosecution certainly justified dismissing action motion populous districts calendar congestion become severe problem district courts acting initiative time time established special call calendars stale cases purpose dismissing neither adequate excuse past delays reason continuance appears see example local rules following district courts alaska rule rule cal rule cal rule rule rule del rule rule rule rule rule idaho rule rule rule ind rule ind rule iowa rule iowa rule rule la rule rule mass rule rule rule mo rule neb rule rule rule rule rule rule gen rule rule ohio rule ohio rule rule rule rule dak rule tex rule utah rule rule rule art ii rule rule rule rule wyo rule petitioner contention district act conceded absence local rule covering situation obviously unsound federal rule civil procedure expressly provides cases provided rule district courts may regulate practice manner inconsistent rules light already said find inconsistency record shows oldest case district civil docket clients held bound counsels inaction cases inferences conscious acquiescence less supportable consequences serious see ex rel reid richmond egan teets sorrentino surely criminal defendant may convicted presence mind repudiate attorney conduct course trial civil plaintiff may deprived claim failed see lawyer acted dispatch prosecution lawsuit attorney conduct falls substantially reasonable circumstances client remedy attorney suit malpractice keeping suit alive merely plaintiff penalized omissions attorney visiting sins plaintiff lawyer upon defendant moreover practice keeping general principle example counsel files petition certiorari time attribute delay petitioner request explanation petitioner acting petition history case belies suggestion delay fault defendant solely district judge first ruled erroneously motion judgment pleadings mandate appeals filed district trial date set vacated plaintiff motion thereafter plaintiff failed answer defendant interrogatories august day hearing order show cause case dismissed want prosecution months later although next delay occasioned defendant motion consented plaintiff showing whatever plaintiff ever made effort bring case trial fact defendant submitted interrogatories plaintiff moved time answer extended background hardly surprising district concluded failure appear pretrial conference merely another delaying tactic even judgment appeals rested ground counsel failure attend pretrial conference sufficed justify dismissal duty without reaching broader question sustain district narrower holding decide holding correct walling general industries langnes green american railway express see securities exchange chenery justice black chief justice concurs dissenting think order district dismissing case sound basis law fact justice petitioner william link brought action recover damages alleged serious permanent injuries suffered collision truck train operated respondent wabash railroad company district dismissed action without notice kind plaintiff link lawyer shortly lawyer failed appear scheduled pretrial conference without trial judge regarded adequate excuse order dismissal apparently purports end petitioner lawsuit bar forever right recover compensation injuries circumstances think judge schnackenberg entirely correct dissent opinion majority appeals seventh circuit upholding dismissal said order affirmed inflicted serious injury upon injured man family innocent wrongdoing plaintiff cause action property destroyed district punish lawyer confiscated another property without process law offends constitution district lack disciplinary authority attorney justification moral legal punishment innocent litigant personal conduct counsel neither necessary proper visit sin lawyer upon client reverse secondly think decision ignore single ground upon believe appeals rested resurrect want prosecution theory trial colloquy wrong case live one date filed right moment true case dismissed pending long time august date dismissal october entire period time motions activities various kinds lawyers trial judge taking place certainly impossible anyone suggest plaintiff link lawyer responsible first three years delay trial case responsibility placed upon anyone delay must placed upon lawyers defendant upon trial judge one month lawsuit filed defendant appeared answered complaint months later defendant filed motion judgment pleadings arguing complaint failed state cause action november year case filed district judge granted motion judgment pleadings entered first dismissal case october however appeals seventh circuit opinion judge schnackenberg reversed dismissal remanded case trial railroad asked grant certiorari review appeals holding february denied certiorari stage case delayed almost three years erroneous ruling trial judge made instance defendant lawyers upon remand district set case hearing july order vacated cause continued motion plaintiff defendant objecting continuance case agreement plaintiff defendant course provides even scintilla evidence support dismissal want prosecution two months later effort buttress defense approaching trial merits railroad filed interrogatories plaintiff answered true interrogatories answered months filed indication record defendant tried get interrogatories answered earlier every trial lawyer knows failure lawyer answer interrogatories designed solicit answers used client answers demanded party filing interrogatories nothing normal trial tactic lawyer trying win case client february trial judge motion issued notice parties dismiss case second time march unless ordered otherwise holding hearings date however considering arguments counsel trial judge entered june order retaining case docket setting trial july action retaining case docket shows trial judge certainly think time case prosecuted case tried july judge granted another continuance time request defendant plaintiff objecting although continuance request defendant like previous delay directly attributable defendant doubtless contributed age case docket suppose although certain one circumstances refers justifying dismissal case march six years lawsuit filed defendant lawyers filed still interrogatories plaintiff answer one month four days later extension time granted trial interrogatories answered certainly seem like extraordinary delay answering interrogatories apparently taken defendant six years conceive prepare five months plaintiff answered defendant march interrogatories trial judge motion issued notice scheduling pretrial conference october pretrial conference petitioner lawyer failed appear even failure showed inclination part plaintiff lawyer abandon lawsuit lawyer called clerk district telephone also talked trial judge secretary morning day conference explain present october urge pretrial conference passed next day october give chance present true trial judge later refused accept lawyer explanation ruling correct indicates lawyer may guilty kind breach responsibility client indicate however stretch imagination made indicate lawyer much less plaintiff acting way people let lawsuits die want prosecution record shows neither lawyer plaintiff given sort notice judge secretary request postponement denied even though defendant request indefinite postponement granted three months earlier lawyer plaintiff receive notice failure appear pretrial conference result drastic sanction dismissal case think nothing short clairvoyance enabled either anticipate approve dismissal case want prosecution foregoing facts seems inflicts grossest kind injustice upon petitioner uphold dismissal case ground prosecuted course counsel parties apparently best bring case successful conclusion respective clients earlier delays preceding plaintiff lawyer failure appear pretrial hearing far showing want prosecution actually strengthen conclusion case prosecuted far greater part delays due steps taken furtherance litigation two continuances case one request counsel plaintiff second request counsel defendant created delays obviously related end delays punished see reason punishment limited plaintiff lawyer must say appears sort unequal justice punish plaintiff even lawyer earlier delays undoubtedly due major part erroneous ruling trial judge regard sufficiency pleadings continuance trial brought request defendant several motions defendant counsel made along years connection interrogatories additional interrogatories used purpose defeat plaintiff actively prosecuted lawsuit even assuming face plain facts however blame six years delay case laid feet plaintiff lawyer seems contrary fundamental ideas fairness justice impose punishment lawyer failure prosecute upon plaintiff far record shows simply trusting lawyer take care case clients generally dismisses whole question punishing plaintiff link alleged fault lawyer simple generalized statement petitioner voluntarily chose attorney representative action avoid consequences acts omissions freely selected agent one may readily accept statement circumstances client responsible acts omissions attorney stretches generalized statement far say must always case good illustration deplorable kind injustice come acceptance mechanical rule link filed action right alleging infliction serious injuries upon railroad sought damages case delayed three years trial judge erroneous ruling question technical sufficiency complaint ruling reversed frustrated plaintiff right trial merits ruling course never made plainly inconsistent whole philosophy underlying modern liberal rules procedure govern civil trials federal courts appeals upheld complaint reversed trial remanded case trial parties engaged number activities obviously designed bring case trial least two separate occasions plaintiff called upon respond interrogatories submitted railroad circumstances plaintiff simply way knowing even slightest danger potentially valuable lawsuit going thrown default part lawyer quite contrary plaintiff every reason believe lawyer obtained reversal trial judge first erroneous order dismissal appeals eminently well qualified represent interests best win lawsuit surely doubt plaintiff lawyer gone without authority asked dismiss case bar future suit filed repudiate conduct give plaintiff remedy wrong perpetrated trial judge instead putting end plaintiff substantial cause action simply imposed fine several thousand dollars upon plaintiff lawyer neglect doubt unanimously reverse unjust penalty result actually reached however condones situation different fact either described plaintiff cause action valuable property within generally accepted sense word entitled protections constitution due process requires property shall taken away without notice hearing see result squared fundamental constitutional requirement moreover say sins faults delinquencies lawyer must always visited upon client impose tremendous financial penalties upon ignore practicalities realities relationship lawyers everywhere country granted licenses presumably skill integrity learning law dependability may clients sophisticated enough affairs world able select good bad among mass lawyers throughout country unfortunately always case average individual called upon perhaps first time life select lawyer try lawsuit may happen choose best lawyer may happen choose one worst right rely least extent upon fact lawyer license also entitled believe lawyer ability look case leave lawyer free constraint surely said duty resting upon link layman plaintiff try supervise daily professional services lawyer chosen represent know even assuming true lawyer careless man adverse effect upon trial judge failing appear ordered know presumed know duty see many steps lawyer needs take bring case trial taken lawyer client awakened lawyer incapacity first time sudden brutal pronouncement lawyer failed perform duty prosecuting case therefore throwing heels far record shows plaintiff never received one iota information kind character type put notice ordinary layman lawyer duty general rule clients must always suffer mistakes lawyers simply ignores problems general rule adopted think far better interest administration justice far realistic light relationship lawyer client actually adopt rule client ever penalized plaintiff conduct lawyer unless notice given client threat hangs head rule nothing incorporate basic constitutional requirements fairness administration justice country seems find reason holding plaintiff penalized without notice program certain courts adopted end congestion dockets setting cases trial course desirable congestion dockets reduced every way possible consistent fair administration justice laudable objective sought way undercuts purposes courts created try cases merits render judgments accordance substantial rights parties case little merit prosecuted trial course properly dispose fair constitutional procedures one fact record however inference drawn case link wabash railroad company case allow desire reduce congestion justify sacrifice substantial rights litigants cases like attempt promote speed administration desirable expense justice indispensable system worthy name moreover seems plain attempt cut congestion dismissing meritorious lawsuits doomed fail even misguided purpose promoting speed judicial administration litigants meritorious lawsuits likely accept unfair rulings kind without exhausting available appellate remedies consequently reduction trial dockets accomplished dismissals offset increased burden appellate courts case seems excellent example sort wholly unnecessary waste judicial resources result overzealous protection trial dockets case twice appeals twice brought result rulings handed trial judge true ruling today finally puts end case thus clears federal dockets view fact merits case never reached believe much rejoicing fact end result procedures adopted much time wasted yet justice done find highly regrettable feels compelled place stamp approval upon procedures may much importance anyone plaintiff family whether case tried merits mind however great importance everyone country establish practice throwing litigants without notice solely credulous enough entrust cases lawyers whose names accredited worthy capable government fear case likely stand future best example american justice since order dismissal specify without prejudice plaintiff right reinstitute action dismissal operates judgment merits rule federal rules civil procedure applies course rule source power exercised seems say order dismissal still end plaintiff chance recovery cause action barred statute limitations order dismissal stated follows pursuant inherent powers upon failure plaintiff counsel appear scheduled today october pursuant notice rule counsel failed give good sufficient reason appearing said cause dismissed true appeals set history case made attempt rely upon history justify judgment affirmance references circumstances case quoted opinion simply magnified indicate reliance emphasis supplied thus even theory client must always charged notice facts notice charged upon attorney plaintiff charged notice lawsuit dismissed upon failure lawyer appear pretrial conference cite three cases effort support general proposition none cases even suggests harsh expansive rule moreover deal situations far removed presented inapplicability precedent conclusion reached case apparent ex rel reid richmond sorrentino criminal cases defendant sought upset conviction ground lawyers exercised poor judgment handling one multitude decisions made trial every lawsuit reid lawyers failed make objection one piece evidence appeals finding action much commend trial strategy held objection evidence must considered waived reid must bound lawyers acquiescence course testimony even holding provoked sharp dissent holding counsel assigned accused may waive electric chair seems event dubious sorrentino lawyers waived right object order trial judge reducing number spectators trial appeals held sorrentino bound waiver saying sorrentino time indicate fully satisfied action trial judge thus taken counsel consent must therefore concluded acquiesced counsel judgment interests prejudiced indeed might served reduction ordered number spectators trial certainly one say link said sorrentino interests prejudiced indeed might served dismissal case egan teets involved allegation defendant original appeal papers suppressed held merely failure defendant counsel raise point state courts defendant knew alleged suppression plus failure defendant offer explanation raising point state courts must taken waiving point suggested plaintiff counsel waived plaintiff right lawsuit tried since holding tenaciously right eight years four spent trying get appeals force trial judge give trial merits certainly nothing opinion egan suggests defendant able allege prove appeal papers suppressed wrongful conduct part lawyer nonetheless bound conduct quite able understand suggestion keeping suit alive visiting sins plaintiff lawyer upon defendant see regarded punishment compel person try lawsuit merits impartial judicial tribunal established operating accordance constitution suggestion petitioner might able file motion rule accompanied adequate explanation absence petitioner counsel pretrial conference answer problem presented plaintiff lack notice whether lawyer adequate explanation think plaintiff entitled due process property taken