Pissarro painting confiscated by Nazis at center of Supreme Court arguments

[rsdsharp]

8. This is what is called a conflict of laws case.

These are often like diving into a huge tub of worms. The various states, and or countries, which might have an interest in the case not only have substantive laws relative to the subject (e. g. who owns, or should own the painting?) but they also have their own conflicts laws (which state or country’s substantive law should we apply — ours? or the other state’s if it’s different — and that state’s laws might say to apply the first state’s laws). So the first question for the court is whether it has jurisdiction, and if so, what law to apply.

These kind of cases can drive you crazy.