Who may a show cause order be issued against under Rule 11(c)(3)?

• A. Attorney, law firm, or party
• B. Only the attorney
• C. Only the party
• D. Only the law firm

Answer: (A)

Rule 11 sanctions can be directed at the person who signed or filed the challenged paper. Under Rule 11(c)(3), a court may issue an order to show cause why sanctions should not be imposed against that signer. That means any of the three roles—the attorney who signed the document, the law firm whose member signed or caused the filing to be made, or the party who signed or caused the filing to be made—can be the subject of the show-cause order. The rule is designed to hold accountable the entity that certifies the factual and legal content of a filing, after reasonable inquiry and not for an improper purpose. So the authority to issue a show-cause order spans all three categories, not just one.