Hawaii Plaintiff's Reply to Defendant's Memorandum in Opposition to Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment

If a defendant refuses to produce documents or witnesses for depositions, you can oppose the summary-judgment motion by submitting your declaration and showing that facts essential to justify your opposition may exist but cannot for reasons stated be presented to the court.

A motion for summary judgment filed by an opposing party claims that you cannot prevail in the case because there is no legal dispute or your claim is without merit or a defense. Failure to respond to a motion for summary judgment can result in your case being dismissed or a judgment being rendered against you.

A decision granting summary judgment can be appealed without delay. A decision denying summary judgment ordinarily cannot be immediately appealed; instead, the case continues on its normal course.It is not uncommon for summary judgments of lower U.S. courts in complex cases to be overturned on appeal.

Attack the Legal Argument. The first place to look for a weakness in your opponent's motion is at their legal argument. Attack the Evidence. Attack the Separate Statement. Consider Whether Your Opponent's Motion Meets its Burden. Consider Seeking a Continuance to Conduct More Discovery. Conclusion.

A response must be in writing and include the same supporting documents as a motion for summary judgment. The opposition to the motion for summary judgment should also include a statement of facts showing the dispute and supporting documents.

If the motion is granted, the judgment on the issue or case is deemed to be a final judgment from which a party may seek an appeal. The court of appeal can reverse the grant of summary judgment and reinstate the claim in the lower court. However, this is rarely done and most summary judgments are upheld on appeal.

Under Rules 8.104 and 8.108, three possible deadlines govern the filing of a notice of appeal: (1) 60 days from service of either the judgment or appealable order; (2) 30 days from the denial of a timely-filed post-trial motion; or, (3) if neither of the first two applies, then 180 days after entry of judgment or

In a non-precedential opinion addressing the issue of appellate jurisdiction, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit dismissed an appeal of a lower court's denial of two of plaintiff's motions for summary judgment, finding that a denial of summary judgment is not a final judgment.

Ordinarily, a party cannot appeal a denial of summary judgment after trial has taken place, unless the arguments were renewed in a motion for judgment as a matter of law under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 50.Denials of summary judgment generally cannot be appealed after a full trial on the merits.