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 Iowa, 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 Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure align with the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 50 in that the standard for granting such a motion is whether no reasonable jury could find in favor of the non-moving party based on the evidence presented. If the court finds that the evidence is so one-sided that one party must prevail as a matter of law, the court may remove the decision from the jury's hands and may enter a judgment by itself. This procedure helps to ensure that cases with insufficient legal basis do not proceed to a jury verdict, which could result in an unjust or unsupported decision.