Civil procedure
Summary Judgment
Summary judgment is a ruling that resolves a claim before trial because there is no genuine dispute about any material fact.
The standard has two halves. A fact is material only if it could change the outcome under the governing law, and a dispute is genuine only if the evidence would let a reasonable jury find either way. The judge views the record in the light most favorable to the side opposing the motion.
It is not a mini-trial. Credibility contests and competing inferences belong to the jury, so a judge who finds the evidence conflicting must deny the motion even while doubting one side's story.
A denial is not a loss on the merits. It simply means the case needs a factfinder, so a defendant who loses the motion is no closer to liability than before, and unlike a grant, the denial usually cannot be appealed right away.
How it appears on a docket
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER granting 88 Motion for Summary Judgment as to Counts I and III and denying it as to Count II. Trial on Count II set for 5/4/2026.
Governing rule
Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a)
Related terms
- Motion for Summary Judgment — A motion for summary judgment asks the court to decide a claim without a trial because the important facts are not genuinely disputed.
- Judgment — A judgment is the court's final decision resolving the claims in a case and stating who wins and what they get.
More on civil procedure
See this term in a real case
Search federal court records and read the filings where summary judgment actually shows up. New to federal dockets? Start with how to find a federal case.