# Using Federal Analytics

### Summary

Learn how to use Federal Analytics to predict the likelihood of winning a motion, estimate the time to a decision, and analyze judge behavior using Docket Alarm’s proprietary Motion Tags.

### Why This is Important

Litigation strategy shouldn't be based on guesswork. Federal Analytics answers critical questions like: *"How often does Judge Oreck grant Motions to Strike?"* or *"How long does this court typically take to rule on Summary Judgment?"* By analyzing thousands of past orders, the system gives you statistical probabilities to manage client expectations and refine your arguments.

### How It Works: Motion Tags

Docket Alarm has tagged over **220+ types** of motions, orders, and pleadings (e.g., *Motion to Dismiss*, *Motion for Sanctions*, *Complaint*). We track the lifecycle of these motions from filing to the judge's final order to determine the outcome: **Granted**, **Denied**, or **Partial**.

### Accessing Analytics

You can access these insights in two ways:

**Method 1: From a Specific Case (Contextual)**

1. Open a docket sheet.
2. **Hover** over any Motion Tag in the docket list or the Interactive Timeline.
3. A popup will appear showing the grant/denial rate for that specific motion type before that specific judge.

### **Method 2: From the Dashboard (Broad Research)**

1. Click **Analytics** in the left sidebar.
2. Select **Federal Analytics**.
3. Use the filters to select:
   * **Motion Type:** (e.g., "Motion to Dismiss").
   * **Court:** (e.g., "California Northern District Court").
   * **Judge:** (Optional).

<figure><img src="https://1556743161-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MS8Dq_iqEIflAmbaOkI-887967055%2Fuploads%2FshZsPz2GFNt28gehfxMe%2FGrabacio%CC%81n%20de%20pantalla%202025-12-02%20a%20las%2010.29.58%20a.%20m..gif?alt=media&#x26;token=7a1a0639-2924-4639-9e08-c7c110455493" alt=""><figcaption><p>Visualize grant rates to assess the difficulty of your motion.</p></figcaption></figure>

### Understanding the Data

Once you generate a report, you will see:

* **Win Rates:** A pie chart or bar graph showing the percentage of motions Granted vs. Denied.
* **Timing:** The average number of days from filing to decision.
* **Comparison:** Compare your judge’s stats against the district average to see if they are "plaintiff-friendly" or "defense-friendly."

### Springboarding to Research

The analytics dashboard is interactive.

1. Click on the red **"Denied"** bar in the chart.
2. The system will generate a list of **actual cases** where that judge denied that motion.
3. You can now read the judge's actual opinions to understand *why* they denied it and avoid making the same mistakes.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Pro Tip:** You can filter analytics by **Nature of Suit** (Case Type). A judge might grant Motions to Dismiss frequently in *Contract* cases but rarely in *Patent* cases. Always drill down to your specific case type for the most accurate prediction.&#x20;
{% endhint %}

### Related Articles

* [Using Easy Analytics](https://support.vlex.com/docket-alarm/docket-alarm-home/analytics/using-easy-analytics)
* [Interactive Timeline & Motion Tags](https://support.vlex.com/docket-alarm/docket-alarm-home/search-and-discovery/interactive-timeline-and-motion-tags)

### Need more help?

If you need data for state courts, check the **Analytics Workbench** to see if your jurisdiction supports outcome tagging.

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