The Role of Full Faith and Credit in Federal Jurisdiction

When the legal systems of two or more States apply to the same fact situation, they may prescribe, with respect to those facts, inconsistent sets of rights and liabilities. In this Article Mr O'Brien examines the role of full faith and credit in resolving the conflict. He concludes that while it is theoretically possible for full faith and credit to resolve the conflict, either on a substantive law basis or on a jurisdictional basis, the Courts have not been prepared to attribute to full faith and credit an operation which would enable it to perform either function. On the other hand, full faith and credit does perform a preparatory function in resolving this type of conflict by bringing such conflicts into federal jurisdiction wherein a resolution can ultimately be achieved.