term:

Federal Common Law

federal common law n

: case law developed in the federal courts see also Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins in the Important Cases section NOTE: Federal common law is applied primarily in admiralty and maritime cases, disputes between states, matters of international relations, and in cases regarding the proprietary interests of the U.S. Federal common law is used when federal statutory law does not completely address an issue or problem.

Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©1996. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.