Who may move for JMOL after the case has been submitted to the jury?

• A. nobody
• B. the jury
• C. plaintiff
• D. defendant

Answer: (A)

Judgment as a matter of law after trial is addressed by a post-verdict renewal under Rule 50(b). Once the case has been submitted to the jury and a verdict is reached, a party to the case may move for JMOL by filing that renewal. The jury itself cannot move for JMOL. The right to seek JMOL rests with the plaintiff or the defendant—the party opposing or seeking to overturn the verdict—not with the jury or with nobody. In short, after submission to the jury, a party to the case may move for JMOL; the correct understanding is that either side may do so, not “nobody.”