A plaintiff files a negligence lawsuit against a defendant in federal court. After the discovery phase, the defendant files a motion asserting that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and that they are entitled to judgment as a matter of law. What type of motion has the defendant filed?
The correct answer is a motion for summary judgment. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56, summary judgment is appropriate when there is no genuine dispute of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. This motion resolves a case, or parts of a case, without the need for trial, based on evidence submitted during the pretrial phase. A motion to dismiss, by contrast, challenges the legal sufficiency of a claim at the pleading stage and does not rely on evidence obtained during discovery. A motion for judgment as a matter of law (JMOL) occurs at trial, addressing whether a reasonable jury could find for the opposing party based on the presented evidence. A motion for reconsideration is filed after the court has ruled on a particular issue, typically to ask the court to reexamine its decision.
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How does a motion for summary judgment differ from a motion to dismiss?