A party is entitled to summary judgment if there is no genuine dispute of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. True or False?

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only after a jury verdict
• D. Only in appellate review

Answer: (A)

Summary judgment happens when there is no genuine dispute over material facts and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. In that situation, the court can decide the case without going to trial because the facts are deemed undisputed and only legal questions remain. A material fact is one that could affect the outcome under the governing law, and a genuine dispute means reasonable people could disagree about that fact based on the evidence. The moving party bears the initial burden to show there is no genuine dispute; if they succeed, the burden shifts to the other side to present evidence showing a factual issue that would require a trial. The court evaluates the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party but does not weigh conflicting evidence to create disputes where none exist. Summary judgment is a trial-court tool, not something that happens only after a jury verdict or during appellate review. Because all these conditions are satisfied, the statement is true.