A motion for judgment as a matter of law is a procedure during trial in which a party who does not have the burden of proof on a claim (generally the defendant) or on a defense to a claim (generally the plaintiff) may ask the court to dismiss the claim or defense before the jury is allowed to decide it. The standard for dismissing such a claim or defense is whether no reasonable jury could find for the opposing party on the claim or defense. In the federal court system, a motion for judgment as a matter of law is governed by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 50.

In Hawaii, a motion for judgment as a matter of law is a legal procedure that can be used during a jury trial when a party believes there is insufficient evidence for the opposing party's claim or defense to warrant a jury decision. This motion is typically filed by the defendant in response to the plaintiff's claim, or by the plaintiff in response to the defendant's defense. The standard for the court to grant such a motion is similar to the federal standard, where the court must find that no reasonable jury could find in favor of the non-moving party based on the evidence presented. If the court agrees that the evidence cannot reasonably support a verdict for the non-moving party, it may dismiss the claim or defense without sending it to the jury. This procedure is governed by Hawaii state statutes and rules of civil procedure, which align with the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 50 in the federal court system.