exxon mobil et al saudi basic industries argued february decided march doctrine issue case applied twice rooker fidelity trust district columbia appeals feldman rooker plaintiffs previously defeated state filed suit federal district alleging adverse judgment unconstitutional asking declared null void noting preliminarily state acted within jurisdiction explained decision wrong make judgment void merely left open reversal modification appropriate timely appellate proceeding federal district courts rooker recognized empowered exercise original appellate jurisdictions congress empowered alone exercise appellate authority reverse modify judgment affirmed decree dismissing federal suit lack jurisdiction feldman two plaintiffs brought actions district columbia highest denied petitions waive rule requiring bar applicants graduated accredited law school recalling rooker observed district lacked authority review final judicial determination high review obtained concluding proceedings applying accreditation rule plaintiffs judicial nature ruled federal district lacked jurisdiction however concluding also promulgating bar admission rule acted legislatively judicially held bar district addressing validity rule long plaintiffs seek review rule application particular case since feldman never applied dismiss action want jurisdiction however lower federal courts variously interpreted doctrine extend far beyond contours rooker feldman cases overriding congress conferral jurisdiction concurrent jurisdiction exercised state courts superseding ordinary application preclusion law case two subsidiaries petitioner exxon mobil corporation formed joint ventures respondent saudi basic industries sabic produce polyethylene saudi arabia dispute arose royalties sabic charged joint ventures sabic preemptively sued two subsidiaries delaware state seeking declaratory judgment royalties proper exxonmobil subsidiaries countersued federal district alleging sabic overcharged trial ultimately yielded jury verdict million exxonmobil subsidiaries district denied sabic motion dismiss federal suit interlocutory appeal eight months jury verdict third circuit motion raised question whether jurisdiction federal suit failed doctrine exxonmobil claims already litigated state question district jurisdiction suit outset held federal jurisdiction terminated delaware entered judgment jury verdict held doctrine confined cases kind acquired name cases brought losers complaining injuries caused judgments rendered federal district proceedings commenced inviting district review rejection judgments otherwise override supplant preclusion doctrine augment circumscribed doctrines allowing federal courts stay dismiss proceedings deference actions pp rooker feldman exhibit limited circumstances appellate jurisdiction judgments precludes federal district exercising jurisdiction action otherwise empowered adjudicate congressional grant authority cases plaintiffs alleging jurisdiction called upon district overturn injurious judgment long interpreted vests authority review judgment solely feldman parallel state federal litigation triggered simply entry judgment state see mcclellan carland comity abstention doctrines may various circumstances permit require federal stay dismiss federal action favor litigation see colorado river water conservation dist neither rooker feldman supports notion properly invoked concurrent jurisdiction vanishes state reaches judgment related question case remains sub judice federal disposition federal action adjudication complete governed preclusion law federal courts must give preclusive effect judgment another state give parsons steel first alabama bank preclusion jurisdictional matter see fed rule civ proc parallel litigation federal may bound recognize effects judgment federal jurisdiction action terminate automatically entry judgment state stop district exercising jurisdiction simply party attempts litigate federal matter previously litigated state federal plaintiff presents independent claim even one denies state legal conclusion case plaintiff party jurisdiction state law determines whether defendant prevails preclusion principles pp doctrine preclude federal proceeding case exxonmobil repaired federal undo delaware judgment favor appears filed suit two weeks sabic filed delaware well judgment state protect event lost state grounds state statute limitations might preclude relief federal venue prevent district exercising jurisdiction exxonmobil filed federal action emerge vanquish jurisdiction exxonmobil prevailed delaware courts third circuit misperceived narrow ground occupied consequently erred ordering federal action dismissed pp reversed remanded ginsburg delivered opinion unanimous exxon mobil corporation exxon chemical arabia mobil yanbu cal company petitioners saudi basic industries corporation writ certiorari appeals third circuit march justice ginsburg delivered opinion case concerns come known doctrine applied twice first rooker fidelity trust years later district columbia appeals feldman variously interpreted lower courts doctrine sometimes construed extend far beyond contours rooker feldman cases overriding congress conferral jurisdiction concurrent jurisdiction exercised state courts superseding ordinary application preclusion law pursuant see moccio new york state office rooker suit commenced federal district judgment state adverse federal plaintiffs declared null void feldman parties unsuccessful district columbia appeals district highest commenced action rejected applications holding federal suits impermissible emphasized appellate jurisdiction reverse modify judgment lodged initially judiciary act stat exclusively federal district courts noted empowered exercise original appellate jurisdiction plaintiffs rooker feldman litigated lost state federal complaints observed essentially invited federal courts first instance review reverse unfavorable judgments declared suits bounds properly dismissed want jurisdiction doctrine hold today confined cases kind doctrine acquired name cases brought losers complaining injuries caused judgments rendered district proceedings commenced inviting district review rejection judgments otherwise override supplant preclusion doctrine augment circumscribed doctrines allow federal courts stay dismiss proceedings deference actions case us appeals third circuit misperceived narrow ground occupied consequently erred ordering federal action dismissed lack jurisdiction therefore reverse third circuit judgment rooker fidelity trust parties defeated state turned federal district relief alleging adverse judgment rendered contravention constitution asked federal declare null void noted preliminarily state acted within jurisdiction decision wrong explained make judgment void merely left open reversal modification appropriate timely appellate proceeding ibid federal district courts rooker recognized lacked requisite appellate authority jurisdiction strictly original among federal courts rooker clarified congress empowered exercise appellate authority reverse modify judgment ibid accordingly affirmed decree dismissing suit lack jurisdiction sixty years later decided district columbia appeals feldman two plaintiffs case hickey feldman neither graduated accredited law school petitioned district columbia appeals waive rule required bar applicants graduated law school approved american bar association denied waiver requests hickey feldman filed suits district district columbia district appeals district columbia circuit disagreed question whether federal suit maintained granted certiorari recalling rooker opinion feldman observed first district lacked authority review final judicial determination high review determinations feldman opinion reiterated obtained crucial question next stated whether proceedings judicial nature ibid addressing question concluded acted judicially legislatively applying accreditation rule hickey feldman waiver petitions determined acted judicially adjudication feldman held alone among federal courts review authority hence extent hickey feldman sought review district district columbia appeals denial petitions waiver district lacked jurisdiction complaints determination dispose entire case promulgating bar admission rule said acted legislatively judicially challenges constitutionality state bar rules elaborated necessarily require district review final judgment judicial proceeding thus reasoned bar district proceedings addressed validity accreditation rule feldman rule contested federal held long plaintiffs seek review rule application particular case ibid endeavored separate elements hickey feldman complaints failed jurisdictional threshold survived jurisdictional inspection plaintiffs urged district columbia appeals acted arbitrarily denying waiver petitions hickey feldman given former policy granting waivers graduates unaccredited law schools ibid charge held pursued inextricably intertwined district columbia appeals decisions judicial proceedings deny plaintiffs petitions hand said plaintiffs maintain claims bar admission rule unconstitutional creates irrebuttable presumption graduates accredited law schools fit practice law discriminates obtained equivalent legal training means impermissibly delegates district columbia appeals power regulate bar american bar association claims require review judicial decision particular case left open question whether doctrine res judicata foreclosed litigation elements complaints spared dismissal want jurisdiction since feldman never applied dismiss action want jurisdiction decisions mentioned rooker feldman done passing explain cases dictate dismissal see verizon md public serv apply suit seeking review state agency action johnson de grandy bars losing party state seeking substance appellate review state judgment district based losing party claim state judgment violates loser federal rights doctrine application federal suit brought nonparty state suit howlett rose citing rooker feldman rule federal district entertain original action alleging state violated constitution giving effect unconstitutional state statute asarco kadish instead seeking review adverse state decision petitioners sued federal district federal action attempt obtain direct review state decision represent partial inroad construction pennzoil texaco abstaining younger harris rather dismissing suit challenged texas procedures enforcing judgments stevens dissenting anomalous allow courts sit review judgments entered courts equal greater authority citing rooker feldman ii two subsidiaries petitioner exxon mobil corporation separate companies exxon mobil formed joint ventures respondent saudi basic industries sabic produce polyethylene saudi arabia supp nj two decades later parties began dispute royalties sabic charged joint ventures sublicenses polyethylene manufacturing method sabic preemptively sued two exxonmobil subsidiaries delaware superior july seeking declaratory judgment royalty charges proper joint venture agreements supp two weeks later exxonmobil subsidiaries countersued sabic district district new jersey alleging sabic overcharged joint ventures sublicenses app exxonmobil invoked jurisdiction new jersey action authorizes district courts adjudicate actions foreign supp january exxonmobil subsidiaries answered sabic complaint asserting counterclaims claims exxonmobil made federal suit new jersey state suit went trial march jury returned verdict million favor exxonmobil subsidiaries ibid saudi basic industries mobil yanbu petrochemical del sabic appealed judgment entered verdict delaware trial sabic moved dismiss federal suit alleging inter alia immunity foreign sovereign immunities act et seq ed supp ii federal district denied sabic motion dismiss supp sabic took interlocutory appeal appeals heard argument december eight months jury verdict appeals motion raised question whether subject matter jurisdiction case fails doctrine exxonmobil claims already litigated state question district possession jurisdiction outset suit held federal jurisdiction terminated delaware superior entered judgment jury verdict rejected exxonmobil argument apply exxonmobil filed federal complaint well judgment relevant consideration stated whether state judgment precedes federal judgment claims apply federal actions filed prior judgment appeals worried encouraging parties maintain federal actions policies state claims pending exxonmobil claims litigated judgment state appeals held preclude federal district proceeding internal quotation marks omitted exxonmobil point prevailing delaware seeking overturn judgment nevertheless appeals hypothesized sabic appeal delaware exxonmobil endeavoring federal action invalidate judgment situation concluded contemplated intertwined bar granted certiorari resolve conflict among courts appeals scope doctrine reverse judgment appeals third iii rooker feldman exhibit limited circumstances appellate jurisdiction judgments precludes district exercising jurisdiction action otherwise empowered adjudicate congressional grant authority suits foreign federal question diversity cases losing party state filed suit federal state proceedings ended complaining injury caused judgment seeking review rejection judgment plaintiffs cases alleging jurisdiction called upon district overturn injurious judgment long interpreted vests authority review state judgment solely feldman rooker district courts rooker feldman lacked jurisdiction see verizon md doctrine merely recognizes grant original jurisdiction authorize district courts exercise appellate jurisdiction judgments congress reserved see parallel state federal litigation triggered simply entry judgment state repeatedly held pendency action state bar proceedings concerning matter federal jurisdiction mcclellan carland accord doran salem inn atlantic coast line younger harris burford sun oil railroad tex pullman neither rooker feldman supports notion properly invoked concurrent jurisdiction vanishes state reaches judgment related question case remains sub judice federal disposition federal action adjudication complete governed preclusion law full faith credit act originally enacted ch stat requires federal give preclusive effect judgment another state give parsons steel first alabama bank accord matsushita elec industrial epstein marrese american academy orthopaedic surgeons preclusion course jurisdictional matter see fed rule civ proc listing res judicata affirmative defense parallel litigation federal may bound recognize effects judgment federal jurisdiction action terminate automatically entry judgment state stop district exercising jurisdiction simply party attempts litigate federal matter previously litigated state federal plaintiff present independent claim albeit one denies legal conclusion state reached case party jurisdiction state law determines whether defendant prevails principles preclusion gash assocs village rosemont accord noel hall case surely paradigm situation precludes federal district proceeding quoting verniero exxonmobil plainly repaired federal undo delaware judgment favor rather appears exxonmobil filed suit federal district two weeks sabic filed delaware well judgment state protect event lost state grounds state statute limitations might preclude relief federal venue tr oral arg app prevent district exercising jurisdiction exxonmobil filed federal action emerge vanquish jurisdiction exxonmobil prevailed delaware courts reasons stated judgment appeals third circuit reversed case remanded proceedings consistent opinion ordered footnotes earlier opinion used expression explained district entertain constitutional claims attacking judgment even state passed directly claims constitutional attack inextricably intertwined state judgment district columbia appeals feldman respondent saudi basic industries urges asarco kadish expanded jurisdictional bar include federal actions simply raise claims previously litigated state brief respondent asarco petitioners defendants action sought review arizona invalidation state statute governing mineral leases state lands dismissed suggestion petitioners pursued claim new action federal district action said essence attempt obtain direct review arizona decision lower federal courts contravention injury petitioners losing parties state complained hypothetical federal suit caused state invalidation mineral leases relief sought undo state invalidation statute hypothetical suit asarco therefore shares characteristics suits rooker feldman loser state invites federal district overturn judgment decided rooker decided feldman cited rooker one opinion fishgold sullivan drydock repair reference finality prior judgments see rooker fidelity trust unless reversed modified judgment effective conclusive rooker appearance reports occurs justice white dissent denial certiorari florida state bd dentistry mack sabic saudi arabian corporation owned saudi government owned private investors supp exxonmobil request appeals initially stayed consideration appeal await resolution proceedings delaware app november shortly sabic filed appeal delaware appeals sabic motion lifted stay set appeal argument one day argument appeals directed parties prepared address whether doctrine deprived district jurisdiction case app sabic contends case moot delaware affirmed judgment favor exxonmobil saudi basic industries mobil yanbu petrochemical denied reargument en banc saudi basic industries mobil yanbu petrochemical brief respondent sabic continues oppose delaware judgment however represented petition writ certiorari tr oral arg controversy therefore remains live congress minded may explicitly empower district courts oversee certain judgments done notably authorizing federal habeas review state prisoners petitions appeals criticized exxonmobil pursuing federal suit insurance policy adverse result state nothing necessarily inappropriate however filing protective action see rhines weber ante permitting federal district stay federal habeas action hold petition abeyance petitioner exhausts claims state union pacific dept revenue noting railroad company filed protective actions state prevent expiration state statute limitations government virgin islands neadle supp md staying action brought plaintiffs protect event personal jurisdiction defendants failed district virgin islands see also england louisiana bd medical examiners permitting party reserve litigation federal constitutional claims federal state resolves questions state law