Rule 12(c) motion concerns which form of relief?

• A. Dismissal for failure to state a claim
• B. Motion to compel discovery
• C. Summary judgment
• D. Judgment on the pleadings

Answer: (D)

Rule 12(c) motions are for judgment on the pleadings. After the complaint and answer have been filed and the pleadings are closed, either side can ask the court to enter judgment as a matter of law based solely on what’s stated in those pleadings. The court’s job is to determine whether there are any genuine disputes about material facts and, if not, whether the moving party is entitled to relief based on the pleadings alone. Because the decision rests on the pleadings, the evidence outside them isn’t considered unless attached to the pleadings or incorporated by reference. If facts are disputed or a fuller factual record is needed, the appropriate path is typically to proceed to trial or, later, to summary judgment once a record exists. This relief is conceptually similar to a dismissal for failure to state a claim, but it comes after the pleadings have closed and is framed as judgment on the pleadings rather than a pre-answer dismissal.