United States Fourth Circuit

Where a federal policy, rather than a federal statute, creates a federal right, a proposed amendment to the complaint may contain a different claim, but if the statute has been repealed, the amendment may be futile and a cause of action will not lie.

Appellate Information

• Argued 11/01/2000
• Decided 01/23/2001
• Published 01/23/2001

Judges

• Before WIDENER, WILKINS, and NIEMEYER, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  Earle Duncan Getchell, Jr., McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe, L.L.P., Richmond, VA, for Appellants. Edward Meade Macon, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Richmond, VA, for Appellees. ON BRIEF:  Robert T. Adams, Robert L. Hodges, William H. Baxter, II, McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe, L.L.P., Richmond, VA, for Appellants. Mark L. Earley, Attorney General, William H. Hurd, Solicitor General, Judith Williams Jagdmann, Deputy Attorney General, Gregory E. Lucyk, Assistant Attorney General, Richmond, VA, for Appellees.