Which of the following documents does Rule 11 apply to?

• A. Pleadings
• B. Interrogatories
• C. Depositions
• D. Subpoenas

Answer: (A)

Rule 11 governs the signatures and certifications that accompany papers filed with the court. It requires that every pleading, along with any signed written motion or other paper presented to the court, be signed by an attorney or party and contain a certification that, to the best of the signer’s knowledge after inquiry, the filing is not for an improper purpose, the claims or defenses have a basis in law, and the factual contentions have evidentiary support. Pleadings are the formal court filings that initiate or shape the litigation, so Rule 11 directly applies to them. Interrogatories, depositions, and subpoenas are discovery tools and are not, by themselves, papers filed with the court as pleadings, so Rule 11 does not govern the discovery requests.