Berk v. Choy · ¶20
By design, this system of pleading makes it relatively easy for plaintiffs to subject defendants to discovery—even for claims that are likely to fail. To protect defendants from this burden, lower federal courts have sometimes tried to require more information for certain kinds of claims: 42 U. S. C. §1983 actions against municipalities, Leatherman v. Tarrant County Narcotics Intelligence and Coordination Unit, 507 U. S. 163 (1993); employment discrimination suits, Swierkiewicz v. Sorema N. A., 534 U. S. 506 (2002); and prisoner suits, Jones v. Bock, 549 U. S. 199 (2007). We have consistently rejected such efforts. As we explained in Leatherman—which dealt with a demand that plaintiffs plead certain §1983 claims with added specificity— Rule 8(a)(2) requires “only” a “‘short and plain statement of the claim.’” 507 U. S., at 165, 168 (quoting Rule 8(a)(2)). Unless the Federal Rules single…Read in context ›
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