Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
The party who commences a civil action by filing a complaint and seeking relief from the court against one or more defendants.
Sources & Authorities· 39 primary sources
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Cases
Statutes
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Uniform Acts
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Common Law
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How it applies
Common Examples
6
Foreclosure by Note Holder
Preston Pratt holds the note secured by Pamela Phillips's property and commences foreclosure after default. As plaintiff he joins the mortgagor and junior lienholders as necessary parties and provides them notice of the proceeding. The court can then extinguish those interests through a valid sale.
Request for Waiver of Service
Penelope Price files suit against Pedro Pacheco and sends a written notice requesting waiver of summons service. Pacheco has a duty to avoid unnecessary service expenses by agreeing to the waiver. Price thereby saves the cost of formal service while preserving the action.
Contesting Special Litigation Committee
Priya Prasad brings a derivative action on behalf of Phoenix Technologies. After a qualified committee determines that continuing the suit is not in the corporation's best interests, Prasad must allege with particularity facts showing the committee failed to meet statutory requirements. The court then evaluates whether the determination stands.
Res Ipsa Loquitur Inference
Parker Phillips is injured when an instrumentality under Paragon Construction's exclusive control malfunctions in a manner that does not ordinarily occur without negligence. As plaintiff, Phillips shows that the indicated negligence falls within the defendant's duty to him. The court permits the jury to infer breach from the circumstances alone.
Pleading Plausibility Requirement
Pamela Phillips alleges that Pulse Media violated federal law but includes only conclusory assertions without supporting facts. The court disregards those conclusions and examines whether the remaining factual allegations plausibly entitle her to relief. Because the claim remains merely possible rather than plausible, the complaint is dismissed.
Venue for Corporate Plaintiff
Premier Manufacturing sues a defendant in federal court. As plaintiff the corporation is deemed to reside only in the judicial district where it maintains its principal place of business. Venue is therefore proper solely in that district regardless of where the defendant resides.
Common questions
Frequently Asked
5
Who typically serves as the plaintiff in a foreclosure action?+
The mortgagee or holder of the note ordinarily commences the proceeding as plaintiff. State statutes also require joinder of the mortgagor and may require joinder of junior lienholders or tenants who hold interests in the property.
Supporting sources
What must a plaintiff do to request waiver of service under the federal rules?+
The plaintiff may notify a defendant subject to service under Rules 4(e), (f), or (h) that an action has been commenced and request waiver of summons service. The notice must be in writing and addressed to the individual defendant or an appropriate officer or agent of a corporation or association.
What burden does the plaintiff bear after a special litigation committee recommends dismissal of a derivative suit?+
When a qualified committee determines that maintaining the derivative proceeding is not in the corporation's best interests, the plaintiff must allege with particularity facts establishing that the committee failed to satisfy the statutory prerequisites. The burden of proof then depends on whether the committee consisted of qualified directors.
Supporting sources
How does the plaintiff establish the res ipsa loquitur inference in a negligence case?+
The plaintiff must show that the event ordinarily does not occur without negligence, that other responsible causes are eliminated by the evidence, and that the indicated negligence falls within the defendant's duty to the plaintiff. The court decides whether the inference may reasonably be drawn. The jury decides whether it should be drawn.
Supporting sources
What must the plaintiff allege to survive a motion to dismiss under federal pleading standards?+
The plaintiff must plead well-pleaded factual allegations that, taken as true, plausibly give rise to an entitlement to relief. Mere conclusory allegations are disregarded, and allegations that are merely possible rather than plausible fail to state a claim.
Supporting sources
of the equal protection of the laws under the Fourteenth Amendment. In each of the cases other than the Delaware case, a three-judge federal district court denied relief to the
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or minimize the harm suffered by
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due to the designation of the Terminal as a landmark.” [^maj-21]: These statements appear to have reflected the costs of maintaining the…
Constitutional LawIndividual rights · Equal protectionUBEFoundational