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concept of minimum contacts, in
turn, can be seen to perform two
related, but distinguishable,
functions. It protects the de-
fendant against the burdens of
litigating in a distant or in-
convenient forum. And it acts i
to insure that the States through
their courts, do not reach out ~
beyond the limits imposed on them 3
by their status as coequal sover-
eigns in a federal system.
The protection against incon-
venient litigation is typically
described in terms of 'reasonable- !
ness' or 'fairness.' We have said !
that the defendant's contacts with
the forum State must be such that
maintenance of the suit 'does not
offend 'traditional notions of '
fair play and substantial justice."
International Shoe Co. v. Washing-
ton, supra, at 316, 66 S.Ct., a`t
158, quoting Milliken v. Meyer,
311 U.S. 457, 463, 61 S.Ct. 339,
342, 85 L.Ed, 278 (194 0). The re-
lationship between the defendant
and the forum must be such that
it is 'reasonable to require
the corporation to defend the
particular suit which is brought
there. ' 326 U. S. , at 317, 66 S. Ct. ,
at 158. Implicit in this emphasis
on reasonableness is th_e understand-
ing that the burden on the defendant,
while always a'primary concern, will
in an appropriate case be consider-
ed'in light of other relevant factors,
including the forum State's interest
in .adjudicating the dispute, see
McGee v. internation Life Ins. Co., -
355 U.S. 220, 223, 78 S.Ct. 7.99,
201, 2 L.Ed.2d 223 (1957); the
plaintiff's ,interest in obtaining
convenient and effective relief, see
Kulko v. Superior Court, supra, 436
U.S., at 92, 98 S.Ct., at 1697, at
least when that interest is not
adquately protected by the plaintiff's
power to choose the forum, ef. Shaffer
v. Heitner, 433 U.S. 186, 21~, n. 37, _
97 S.Ct. 2569, 2583, n. 37, 53 L.Ed.
2d 683 (1977) ; the intQrstatejudicial
system's interest in obtaining the
most efficient resolution of contro-
versies; and the shared interest of t
several States in furthering funds-
mental substantive social policies,
see Kulko v. Superior Court, supra,
436 U.S., at 93, 98, 98 S.Ct., at
1697, 1700.
The limits imposed on state juris-
diction by the Due Process Clause, in
its role as a guarantor against in-
convenient litigation, have been
substantially relaxed over the years. ~
As we noted in McGee v. International
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