What does a lawyer certify to the court under Rule 11(b)?

• A. All pleadings are free from grammatical errors.
• B. Any representations they make to the court are supported by the law and the facts, and not made for an improper purpose.
• C. The client agrees with the position taken.
• D. All filings are timely submitted and properly formatted.

Answer: (B)

Rule 11(b) requires that when a lawyer signs a pleading or other paper, they certify that, after reasonable inquiry, the representations to the court are grounded in law and in fact and are not made for an improper purpose. This captures the core obligation: filings must be supported by existing law or a nonfrivolous argument for modifying the law, and the factual contentions must have evidentiary support or be likely to after discovery, with denials justified by the evidence. The statement that the representations to the court are supported by the law and the facts and not made for an improper purpose best reflects that certification. The other options miss the focus: grammar correctness, client agreement with the position, or timely/proper formatting are not what Rule 11(b) certifies.