Law question: Rule 11?

While wandering around the web I came across the following:

I know absolutely nothing of the context. What’s Rule 11?

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 11 is the rule that applies in federal courts to, among other things, cut down on frivolous suits, i.e., suits with no real merit. I seriously doubt it “scared the pants” off anyone, let alone the attorneys for any corporation contemplating a lawsuit. The rule only applies to suits filed in federal courts; there are similar concepts applicable in most states, I imagine.

One of the funniest parts of the movie “A Civil Action” was when John Travolta’s character admitted to the federal judge, played by John Lithgow, that he didn’t know what the defense team was talking about when he applied for sanctions under Rule 11; the judge admitted he didn’t know what it was either and had to look it up. The judge later denies the motion on the grounds that the rule is “archaic and ambiguous.” Huh? :confused:

The implication, I suppose, was that the megalithic law firm defending the big business was pulling out every archaic loophole law known to man to try and stop the lawsuit. The reality is that Rule 11 sanctions are not at all archaic and very well known, and the idea that somewhere in America there’s a courtroom with both an experienced attorney and a federal judge who have never heard of it is an eyebrow-raiser to say the least.

Rule 11 has changed since the days of “A Civil Action”, it has more “teeth” if u will,
With the said, you are not going to scare any good corporate lawyer with it but it may scare the crap out of yours.