Which landmark case established the minimum contacts test?

The case that established the minimum contacts test is International Shoe Co. v. Washington. This landmark decision, issued by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1945, fundamentally changed the way courts evaluate personal jurisdiction. The Court introduced the concept of minimum contacts to determine whether it is fair and reasonable to require a defendant to appear in a court in a particular state.

The minimum contacts test examines whether a defendant has established sufficient connections with the forum state through their actions, thus making it just for a court in that state to exercise jurisdiction over them. The essence of this test lies in the requirement that the defendant's contacts with the state must be such that they could reasonably anticipate being haled into court there. This ruling emphasized the need for geographic fairness and aimed to ensure that jurisdiction would not be exercised arbitrarily or in a way that would violate due process rights.

Other options, while significant in personal jurisdiction discussions, do not establish this foundational principle. Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections relates primarily to voting rights, Minnesota v. National Tea Co. deals with different aspects of jurisdiction requirements, and World-Wide Volkswagen Corp. v. Woodson further explores the minimum contacts concept but does not establish it. Thus, International Shoe Co. v. Washington