What is the purpose of a pleading in civil procedure, and what must the complaint ordinarily contain?

• A. To notify the opponent and court of the claims; it must establish jurisdiction, state a claim for relief, and specify the relief sought.
• B. To provide evidence of every fact and win the case on summary judgment.
• C. To procure a jury trial on all claims without pleading specifics.
• D. To request nothing more than administrative closure of the case.

Answer: (A)

In civil procedure, a pleading serves to notify the other party and the court about what is being claimed and why the court has authority to hear the case. The complaint, as the main pleading, ordinarily must include enough to establish jurisdiction, state a claim for relief, and specify the relief sought. It’s about putting the dispute on the record and outlining the basis for the suit, not providing evidence or deciding the merits. Evidence comes later through discovery and trial, and actions like forcing a summary judgment, obtaining a jury trial without specifics, or administrative closure are not functions of the pleading itself.