Fed. R. Civ. P. 50 — Judgment as a Matter of Law in a Jury Trial; Related Motion for a New Trial
Last verified: May 19, 2026 · U.S. Courts — FRCP.
Rule Text — Key Provisions
(a) Judgment as a Matter of Law (JMOL). At any time before the case is submitted to the jury, a party may move for JMOL on the ground that no reasonable jury would have a legally sufficient evidentiary basis to find for the non-moving party. Court may grant on any claim or defense.
(b) Renewed motion (RJMOL). If court does not grant the Rule 50(a) motion, the movant may file a renewed motion within 28 days after entry of judgment. The Rule 50(a) motion is a prerequisite to a 50(b) renewed motion — you cannot raise on RJMOL grounds not asserted before submission to the jury.
(c) Conditional new-trial ruling. When court grants RJMOL, it must also conditionally rule on any new-trial motion to streamline appellate review.
Full text: law.cornell.edu/rules/frcp/rule_50.
Plain English
Rule 50 lets the judge take a jury trial away from the jury when the evidence is so lopsided no reasonable jury could find the other way. You make the motion at the close of the opposing party’s evidence (Rule 50(a)) and, if denied, renew it after verdict (Rule 50(b)). Critical procedural trap: you must raise every ground in the pre-verdict 50(a) motion or you cannot raise it in the renewed motion or on appeal.
Key Cases & Authority
- Reeves v. Sanderson Plumbing Products, Inc., 530 U.S. 133 (2000) — Standard for Rule 50 motions: court draws all reasonable inferences in favor of non-movant; cannot weigh evidence or judge credibility.
- Weisgram v. Marley Co., 528 U.S. 440 (2000) — Court of appeals may direct entry of JMOL after excluding evidence on appeal; doesn’t require new trial.
- Unitherm Food Systems, Inc. v. Swift-Eckrich, Inc., 546 U.S. 394 (2006) — Strict enforcement: a Rule 50(b) renewed motion is required to preserve sufficiency-of-evidence challenges for appeal. Failure to file 50(b) waives the issue.
- Galloway v. United States, 319 U.S. 372 (1943) — Foundational decision establishing that JMOL does not violate the Seventh Amendment.
Florida Parallel
Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.480 — Florida’s parallel is the motion for directed verdict (pre-verdict) and motion for judgment in accordance with prior motion for directed verdict (post-verdict). Same conceptual structure as federal Rule 50.
About this rule walkthrough
Part of The Federal Rule Book, hosted by John M. Phillips — Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, Court TV analyst, admitted in 8 states + 9 federal districts + SCOTUS.
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Educational only — not legal advice.
Rule Text (verbatim from the Florida Supreme Court)
(a) Judgment as a Matter of Law. At any time before the case is submitted to the jury, a party may move for judgment as a matter of law on the ground that no reasonable jury would have a legally sufficient evidentiary basis to find for the non-moving party.
(b) Renewed Motion. If the court does not grant the Rule 50(a) motion, the movant may file a renewed motion for judgment as a matter of law within 28 days after entry of judgment. The Rule 50(a) motion is a prerequisite to a 50(b) renewed motion — grounds not asserted before submission to the jury cannot be raised on RJMOL.
(c) Conditional new-trial ruling. When the court grants RJMOL, it must also conditionally rule on any new-trial motion to streamline appellate review.
Educational reference. This page summarizes a Federal Rule of Civil Procedure for educational purposes. It is not legal advice. Federal procedural rules can change — always verify the current text at uscourts.gov before relying on this summary in any case.
What this rule means in plain English
Rule 50 lets a federal judge take a jury trial away from the jury when the evidence is so one-sided no reasonable jury could find the other way. Make the motion at the close of opposing evidence (50(a)) and renew it after verdict (50(b)). Failure to file 50(b) waives sufficiency challenges for appeal per Unitherm Food Systems.