Twiqbal

Twiqbal is a colloquial term in American law (civil procedure), referring to two separate US Supreme Court cases that heightened the pleading standard under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Together, these cases made it more difficult to sue in federal court by requiring that plaintiffs demonstrate that their claims are "plausible", rather than simply describing the case in sufficient detail to put the defendant on notice.

The two cases are Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007) and Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662 (2009), and "Twiqbal" is a portmanteau of Twombly and Iqbal. Because the two cases together have wrought a significant change in American civil procedure, the cases together, and the principle for which the cases stand, have both become commonly referred to as Twiqbal.[1][2][3]

  1. ^ Frankel 2013.
  2. ^ Rice, Edward (July 12, 2012). "Twiqbal Motions: Are They Worth It?". Law360.
  3. ^ Horder, Richard (May 15, 2013). "Still Unclear Whether Twiqbal is Game Changer for Pleading Environmental Claims". American College of Environmental Lawyers. Together, these cases are often affectionately called "Twiqbal" and have caused both the courts and plaintiffs a great deal of angst over the years since their pronouncement