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:

Complaint — full text, all counts identified
Jurisdiction — federal/state, division, local rules, page/formatting limits
Case info — court name, docket number, party names as captioned
Grounds — which 12(b) subsection(s) apply
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:

| Rule | Ground | |---|---| | 12(b)(1) | Lack of subject matter jurisdiction | | 12(b)(2) | Lack of personal jurisdiction | | 12(b)(3) | Improper venue | | 12(b)(4) | Insufficient process | | 12(b)(5) | Insufficient service of process | | 12(b)(6) | Failure to state a claim | | 12(b)(7) | Failure to join a required party |

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:

| Relief | When appropriate | |---|---| | With prejudice | Amendment would be futile | | Without prejudice | Curable pleading defects | | More definite statement (12(e)) | Complaint too vague to respond to (alternative) |

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