U.S. Advisory Panel Gives Nod to Summary Judgment Rule Changes

Jeffrey J. Greenbaum, the American Bar Association Section of Litigation’s liaison to a federal rulemaking advisory panel, comments in this article regarding the panel’s approval of two summary judgment rule revisions. “The changes would create uniformity to clarify the important issues and remove the element of surprise…Moving parties will no longer be able to make summary judgment motions on the eve of a trial. And the statements of uncontested facts will be useful in identifying and narrowing disputed issues of fact to just those uncontested ones that are critical to granting relief…Even though the [statement] requirement puts a burden on lawyers, it narrows the issues for judges and they find it very helpful.”