What does Rule 11 cover?

• A. Evidentiary submissions and witness statements
• B. Discovery requests and responses
• C. Pleadings, written motions, and other paper
• D. Judicial opinions and court orders

Answer: (C)

Rule 11 covers the signing and certification of court filings. It requires that the attorney or party sponsor the pleading, motion, or other paper with a signature, and that, to the best of their knowledge after reasonable inquiry, the filing is not for an improper purpose. It also requires that the factual contentions have evidentiary support or will likely have such support after discovery, and that the legal arguments are warranted by existing law or a nonfrivolous argument for extending or changing the law. If these certifications are misused—filings lacking support or filed for harassment or delay—sanctions may be imposed, with a safe-harbor period giving the filer a chance to correct issues. The other options point to different rules: evidentiary submissions and witness statements relate to evidence rules; discovery requests and responses to discovery rules; and judicial opinions and court orders are not governed by Rule 11.