Using Federal Analytics

Analyze motion success rates (Granted/Denied) based on over 220+ specific Motion Tags in federal courts.

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).

Visualize grant rates to assess the difficulty of your motion.

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.

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.

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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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