In a whistleblower action against Consolidated Rail Corp., a federal appeals court tackled an issue of first impression in rejecting Conrail’s arguments about lack of court jurisdiction in the matter. But it nevertheless affirmed dismissal based on plaintiff counsel’s failure to overcome an apparent ”clerical oversight” in the mailing of a complaint to a federal agency.

The bulk of Wednesday’s precedential opinion in Guerra v. Conrail examines whether a federal district court judge in New Jersey properly ceded jurisdiction to hear the rail worker’s case.