Appellate Advisory: U.S. Supreme Court Addresses Pleading Standard for Federal Civil Lawsuits in Ashcroft v. Iqbal

In its May 18, 2009 decision in Ashcroft v. Iqbal, the United States Supreme Court recently announced an important clarification and amplification of the standard for reviewing a plaintiff's allegations when a defendant has moved to dismiss a lawsuit for failure to state a legal claim. The decision has far-reaching implications for any plaintiff or defendant in a civil lawsuit in federal court, because it affects the degree of factual particularity that a plaintiff must allege in a complaint, as well as whether or not a defendant can dispose of a suit early in the litigation process, without engaging in costly and time-consuming document discovery and depositions.

Please see full advisory for more information.