| name | summary-judgment-motion |
| title | Motion for Summary Judgment |
| 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. |
| author | CaseMark |
| author_url | https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/summary-judgment-motion |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| execution_mode | open |
| jurisdiction | us |
| practice | litigation |
| language | en |
| tags | ["drafting","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] |
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