Summary Judgment Record

Summary Judgment Record

Summary Judgment Record

The record includes depositions, documents, affidavits, admissions, and interrogatory answers. Rule 56(c) requires citation to particular parts of the record, and material must be capable of presentation in admissible form.

The court need consider only cited materials.

Alternative Names:

Rule 56 Record, Summary Judgment Evidence

Why it Matters?

The requirement that material be capable of admissible presentation, rather than presently admissible, is broader than parties assume, since a document that could be authenticated at trial may be considered even if not yet authenticated. The court's ability to limit review to cited materials is separately significant, because burying support in a large exhibit without a pinpoint citation risks it being overlooked entirely.

Frequently asked questions

Must evidence be admissible at the summary judgment stage?

Must evidence be admissible at the summary judgment stage?

It must be capable of presentation in admissible form, which is broader than requiring present admissibility.

Why do pinpoint citations matter?

Why do pinpoint citations matter?

Because the court need consider only cited materials, so support buried in a large exhibit may be overlooked.