Practical Law Glossary Item 5-507-5629 (Approx. 2 pages)
Glossary
Standing
The legal right to initiate a lawsuit based on a plaintiff's alleged injury being traceable to a defendant's unlawful conduct. The plaintiff must establish it has standing to sue the defendant to invoke the court's jurisdiction. A defendant generally may raise a plaintiff's lack of standing in a pre-answer motion to dismiss or as a defense in an answer.