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 New Jersey, 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 (often the defendant) can request the court to dismiss a claim or defense before it goes to the jury. This is similar to the federal court system's Rule 50 under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The standard for the court to grant such a motion is whether there is a lack of legally sufficient evidentiary basis for a reasonable jury to find for the party bearing the burden of proof on that issue. In other words, the court must find that no reasonable jury could decide in the opposing party's favor based on the evidence presented. If the court agrees that the evidence cannot reasonably support a verdict for the opposing party, it may dismiss the claim or defense accordingly. This procedure helps to streamline the trial process by removing issues that do not have enough evidence to be considered by a jury.