Under Rule 11, representations to the court can occur through which actions?

• A. Signing pleadings, motions, and other papers
• B. Serving a notice of appearance
• C. Filing deadlines
• D. Submitting discovery responses

Answer: (A)

Rule 11 certification comes from presenting to the court a signed paper, which is why the act that creates the representation is signing pleadings, motions, and other papers. The signer attests that, to the best of their knowledge after reasonable inquiry, the paper’s contents are warranted by existing law or a nonfrivolous argument for extending or modifying it, and that factual contentions have evidentiary support or will likely have such support after discovery.

A notice of appearance is a court filing but does not carry the Rule 11 certification about the merits. Filing deadlines are procedural milestones, not representations to the court about the merits. Discovery responses are part of the discovery process and aren’t the typical court-submitted papers that trigger Rule 11’s certification unless they are filed in a context that brings them before the court. Thus, the act that best fits Rule 11’s representation requirement is signing pleadings, motions, and other papers.