Motion to Dismiss

Motion to Dismiss

Draft a Rule 12(b) motion attacking the legal sufficiency of a complaint or the court's authority, structured for filing.

Prerequisites

Collect before drafting:

1. Complaint — full text, all counts identified
2. Jurisdiction — federal/​state, division, local rules, page/​formatting limits
3. Case info — court name, docket number, party names as captioned
4. Grounds — which 12(b) subsection(s) apply
5. Referenced documents — contracts or public records central to the complaint

Drafting Workflow

Step 1: Caption

Format per local rules. Include court (full name, division, location), parties (as captioned), docket number, and title: "Defendant's Motion to Dismiss Pursuant to Rule 12(b)(__)."

Step 2: Introduction

• Identify the moving party and specific 12(b) ground(s)
• State whether seeking dismissal of entire complaint or specific counts
• Provide a one-paragraph argument roadmap

12(b) grounds reference:

Step 3: Statement of Facts

• Recite complaint facts — neutral tone, strategic emphasis
• For 12(b)(6): confine to the four corners plus documents incorporated by reference, public records, and documents central to plaintiff's claim
• Highlight gaps, conclusory allegations, and omissions
• Organize chronologically or thematically to expose deficiencies
• No argumentative characterization

Step 4: Legal Standard

Tailor to the ground(s) asserted:

• 12(b)(6): Plausibility standard under Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007) and Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662 (2009). Accept factual allegations as true; strip legal conclusions, then assess plausibility of remaining content.
• 12(b)(1): Distinguish facial vs. factual attack. Plaintiff bears the burden of establishing jurisdiction.
• 12(b)(2): Analyze under forum state long-arm statute + due process. Distinguish specific vs. general jurisdiction per Daimler AG v. Bauman, 571 U.S. 117 (2014).

Step 5: Argument

Use Roman-numeral or lettered headings, one per ground or deficient element. For each:

• Quote the complaint's specific deficient allegations
• Identify the legal element not plausibly pled
• Cite controlling circuit/​state authority with analogous dismissals
• Distinguish anticipated contrary authority
• For element-based claims: track each element systematically

Step 6: Conclusion & Prayer for Relief

Synthesize without repeating arguments. Specify relief:

Include request for costs/​fees if statute authorizes, plus "any other relief the Court deems just and proper."

Step 7: Signature Block & Certificate of Service

• Signature: Attorney name, bar number, firm, address, phone, email. Pro se: name, address, "Pro Se."
• Certificate: Service method (CM/​ECF, email, mail), date, all parties served. Account for FRCP 6(d) (+3 days for mail).

Pitfalls & Checks

• 12(b)(6) constraint: Never rely on facts outside complaint, incorporated documents, or public records
• Formatting: Verify local rules for font, margins, spacing, page limits before finalizing
• Citations: Bluebook format; verify every case citation is current
• Strategy: Lead with strongest ground; jurisdictional arguments precede merits
• TOC/​TOA: Required by some local rules or when motion exceeds 10 pages
• E-filing: Ensure text-searchable PDF with bookmarks if court requires