What is the standard for summary judgment under Rule 56?

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Rule 56 asks whether there are genuine disputes about material facts that would affect the outcome. The standard is that if the moving party shows there is no genuine dispute of material fact, they are entitled to judgment as a matter of law, view­ing the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmov­ing party. In other words, when the record compels judgment as a legal matter because no reasonable jury could find for the nonmoving party on a key element, summary judgment is appropriate. A genuine dispute exists only if there is evidence from which a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party on at least one essential element. Evidence such as depositions, affidavits, and admissions are considered, but the court does not weigh evidence like a jury would. This standard isn’t about lack of subject matter jurisdiction, and it allows for partial summary judgment on specific issues if there’s no dispute on those issues. The core idea is that summary judgment is only appropriate when the facts are not in dispute in a way that would change the legal outcome.