The class definition identifies members by objective criteria such as purchase of a product during a period, employment in a position, or receipt of a communication. It must be precise enough that membership can be determined without individualized merits inquiry.
Definitions may be narrowed by the court at certification.
Alternative Names:
Definition of the Class, Proposed Class Definition
Why it Matters?
Definition drafting determines whether the other requirements can be satisfied, since an overbroad definition sweeps in uninjured members and defeats predominance while a fail-safe definition binds no one to an adverse judgment. Courts increasingly scrutinize definitions that include substantial numbers of members who suffered no injury, and standing analysis after TransUnion has made that scrutiny more consequential.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
What makes a class definition adequate?
Can courts narrow a proposed definition?
