| name | summary-judgment-motion |
| language | en |
| description | Drafts a Motion for Summary Judgment package for personal injury litigation under FRCP 56 or state equivalent. Trigger when the user needs an MSJ, summary judgment brief, dispositive motion, no-genuine-dispute motion, or judgment-as-a-matter-of-law motion during pre-trial or discovery phases. |
| tags | ["drafting","litigation","motion"] |
Motion for Summary Judgment
Produces a complete MSJ filing package showing no genuine dispute of material fact and entitlement to judgment as a matter of law under FRCP 56 or state equivalent.
Prerequisites
Collect before drafting:
- Complaint & Answer — all claims/defenses at issue
- Discovery record — depositions, interrogatory responses, RFAs, document productions with Bates numbers
- Jurisdiction & local rules — page limits, separate-statement requirements, briefing schedule, formatting
- Contracts/policies — if breach or coverage claims involved
- Expert reports — if needed for causation, damages, or standard of care
Filing Package Components
1. Caption & Notice of Motion
Include: full court name, case title (all parties per operative pleading), case number, document title ("Motion for Summary Judgment" or "Partial"), exact claims/counts sought, FRCP 56 or state rule citation, hearing date if required, and list of supporting documents.
2. Memorandum of Points and Authorities
Draft in this order:
- Introduction (1–2 paragraphs) — parties, claims, why MSJ is warranted
- Statement of the Case — procedural history + factual background with record citations
- Legal Standard — cite the trilogy plus controlling circuit/state authority:
- Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317 (1986)
- Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242 (1986)
- Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574 (1986)
- Argument — per claim/defense: identify elements under governing law → map to undisputed evidence → show opponent lacks evidence for genuine dispute → address counterarguments → cite analogous MSJ grants with parentheticals
- Conclusion — restate entitlement, request specific relief
3. Statement of Undisputed Material Facts (SUF)
Numbered paragraphs. Each fact must be a single discrete assertion, material to an element, with pinpoint citation to admissible evidence.
Citation formats:
| Type | Format |
|---|
| Deposition | [Name] Dep. [page]:[line]–[line] |
| Interrogatory | [Party] Resp. to Interrog. No. [#], at [page] |
| Document | [Description], [Bates range] or Ex. [letter] |
| RFA | [Party] Resp. to RFA No. [#] |
| Declaration | [Name] Decl. ¶ [#] |
Cross-check every fact against source documents for accuracy of quotes, dates, and figures.
4. Supporting Declarations
Each declaration must: open with personal-knowledge/competency statement; contain only direct-knowledge facts (no conclusions, speculation, or "information and belief"); authenticate exhibits by reference; close with perjury declaration for the relevant jurisdiction.
Draft for: moving party, percipient witnesses, expert witnesses (if applicable), custodian of records.
5. Proposed Order
1–2 pages: grants MSJ on specified claims/counts, states no-genuine-dispute finding, directs judgment entry or identifies remaining claims (if partial), includes signature line per local rules.
6. Signature Block & Certifications
Attorney identification (name, bar number, firm, address, phone, email), certificate of service, word-count certification (if required), meet-and-confer certification (if required).
Critical Checks
- Viewing standard: present all evidence in the light most favorable to the non-moving party, then show judgment is still compelled
- Admissibility gate: every cited item must be trial-admissible — authenticate documents, verify personal-knowledge basis, apply hearsay rules
- Pinpoint citations: never cite depositions or documents generally; always include page, line, or Bates number
- Bluebook format: use Bluebook unless local rules specify otherwise
- Local rule compliance: verify page limits, font/margins, separate-statement format, and jurisdiction-specific MSJ procedures before finalizing
- Partial MSJ: clearly delineate which claims are addressed vs. which remain for trial
- PI element mapping: for personal injury claims, map evidence to duty, breach, causation (actual + proximate), and damages — causation and damages are the most common genuine-dispute battlegrounds
