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Draft:Certification of questions of law

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Certification of questions of law is a process sometimes used by federal courts in the legal system of the United States. It is used when confronted with a state law issue that the courts of the corresponding state have not ruled on to ask the supreme of that state what they would do. It is rarely used, mostly because it increases the length and, therefore, cost of litigation. It is an optional process for both the state and federal courts; that is, the federal court is not required to use it and the state court is not required to accept the question and respond. As of October 2024, all US states except North Carolina have some version of a statute or rule allowing this process.