Final Judgment Rule & Exceptions

Question 1

final judgment rule

Answer 1

only a final judgment may be appealed

Question 2

final judgment

Answer 2

one that ends the entire litigation on the merits and leaves nothing for the court to do but execute on the judgment

Question 3

Rationale for final judgment rule

Answer 3

1. promotes judicial economy

2. avoids delay

Question 4

interlocutory appeal

Answer 4

an appeal that is taken before a final judgment has been entered

Question 5

interlocutory order

Answer 5

an order that does not dispose of the entire action

Question 6

collateral order doctrine

Answer 6

an exception to the finality principle that allows review of interlocutory orders that are separable from the merits of the case, final, urgent, and involve important but unsettled questions of law

Question 7

An interlocutory order may be appealed as a collateral order if:

Answer 7

1. the order conclusively determines a disputed question,
2. the question is completely separate from the merits of the action, and
3. the question involves an important right that would likely be irreparably lost if review of the question were to be delayed until after a final judgment, thereby making the question effectively unreviewable except upon an immediate appeal