Archives: Glossary

A lawsuit in which one or more people sue or are sued as representatives of a larger group.

A defense that defeats or reduces a claim even if the plaintiff’s allegations are true, such as the statute of limitations.

A law setting the deadline for starting a lawsuit. Limitations periods vary by claim and jurisdiction.

A formal change or addition to a legal document. A constitutional amendment changes a constitution; under Article V, an amendment to the U.S. Constitution must be proposed by Congress or a convention and ratified by three-fourths of the states. A statute can also be amended by later legislation. In a lawsuit, an amendment is a change to a pleading after it has been filed (Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 15).

The court’s permission to take a step that the rules do not allow as of right.

The pretrial process in which parties obtain information and evidence from each other and from nonparties.

Basic information each party must provide early in a federal case without waiting for a discovery request.

A required good-faith attempt by the parties to resolve a dispute before asking the court to decide it.

Penalties a court may impose for violating rules or orders.

Judgment without a trial because there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.