A plaintiff brings a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a law that requires specific licensing for independent contractors. After the lawsuit is filed, the plaintiff voluntarily changes professions and no longer works as an independent contractor. The defendant argues the case should be dismissed. What is the most likely reason the court might dismiss the case?
The plaintiff’s change in profession means a court’s decision would no longer address an ongoing legal controversy.
The plaintiff’s original standing to sue was invalidated by their change in profession.
The lawsuit was filed too late to challenge the constitutionality of the law due to a statute of limitations.
The defendant successfully argued that the licensing law is no longer being enforced.
The correct answer is based on the principle that mootness arises when circumstances change such that a court’s decision would no longer have any practical legal effect on the parties. If the plaintiff is no longer impacted by the licensing law, the court cannot provide meaningful relief, rendering the case moot. The incorrect answers mischaracterize the mootness doctrine, confuse it with other justiciability doctrines like standing, or misstate procedural rules unrelated to mootness.
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What does mootness mean in the context of legal cases?
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What is standing, and how is it different from mootness?
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Can a case be refiled after it has been dismissed for mootness?