b'Spring/Summer 2019 Newsletter DateFBA/OCThe Newsletter of the Federal Bar Association/Orange County Chapter Spring/Summer 2019Heightened Pleading Standards for Affirmative Defenses:What Standard Will You Be Required to Meet? By Remington B. Lamons*UPCOMING EVENTS:BellAtlanticCorp.v.Twombly 1 heightenedplausibil-andAshcroft v. Iqbal 2aretwoofitystandarddoesap-themostcitedSupremeCourtplytoaffirmativede-x\x03IP Programcasesofalltime, 3andwithgoodfenses. 5 September 10, 2019reason: they raised the standardThisarticlesumma-for surviving a motion to dismiss,rizestheplausibility x\x03Annual Judges Nightwhich is the first major barrier tostandard,andthear-October 17, 2019plaintiff recovery. Ten years after t hes ela ndm arkcas es,gumentsforand x\x03Behind the BenchTwiqbalsplausibilitystandardagainst its application November 2019is entrenched within federal prac- to affirmative defenses. It then analyz-tice.Butacloselyrelatedques- es the data, reviewing some of the sta-x\x03Criminal Practicetionremainsuncertain:whethertisticsspecificallywithintheNinth SeminarthatsameplausibilitystandardCircuit and the Central District of Cali-November 2019extendstoaffirmativedefenses.fornia, to reveal what standard lawyers Itturnsoutthatthestandardwhopracticeherearemostlikelyto x\x03Swearing In Eventapplied to defendants depends onface. December 2019whichjudgeisassignedtothe case.The Plausibility Standardx\x03Ninth Circuit Update Early 2020A review of the 1,100 federal cas- For 50 years, Conley v. Gibson instruct-es that have discussed this ques- edthatacomplaintshouldsurvivea For more details andtioninthe10yearssince(Continued on page 10) to register for eventsTwomblyrevealsthatdistrict courts remain deeply divided, es- IN THIS ISSUE: visit www.fbaoc.compeciallyhereinCalifornia. 4 File ananswerintheNorthernDis- Heightened Pleading Standards1 trict and you will likely be held toFrom the Editor2 TwiqbalsheightenedpleadingPresidents Message3 standard. In the Central District,Special Requirements of the Central5 by contrast, the requirements areDistrict Local Rules often more relaxed. Very recently, theonlycircuitcourtthathasJudicial Profile: Magistrate Judge7 ruleddirectlyonthisissue,theAutumn D. Spaeth SecondCircuit,heldthattheYLD Practice Panel: An In-House8 Perspective on Federal Practice'