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 Illinois, a motion for judgment as a matter of law is a legal procedure that occurs during a trial, where a party without the burden of proof (usually the defendant for a claim or the plaintiff for a defense) requests the court to decide on a claim or defense without submitting it to the jury. This is typically done after the opposing party has been given the opportunity to present their case, but before the case is handed over to the jury for deliberation. The Illinois Code of Civil Procedure does not specifically refer to 'judgment as a matter of law,' but the concept is similar to what is known as a 'directed verdict' under Illinois law. The standard for granting such a motion is whether the evidence presented, when viewed in the light most favorable to the non-moving party, is such that no reasonable jury could find in favor of the opposing party on the claim or defense at issue. At the federal level, this procedure is governed by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 50, which allows a party to file a motion for judgment as a matter of law before the case is submitted to the jury and can be renewed after the jury's verdict if the jury has reached a decision that is not legally sustainable.