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A Pleading Problem: Seventh Circuit Decision In Swanson V. Citibank Illustrates The Unstable State Of Federal Pleading Standards In The Post-Iqbal Era, Trisha Chokshi

Northern Illinois University Law Review

Historically, courts have been a place where individuals could obtain justice and relief for their grievances. Ordinary people have used courts to desegregate schools, protect the environment, punish corporate misconduct, and preserve fundamental liberties. Citizen access to federal courts, however, has become much more difficult in recent years in the wake of two Supreme Court decisions: Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly in 2001 and Ashcroft v. Iqbal in 2009, which raised the pleading standard a plaintiff must satisfy before her case can go to court. In civil litigation, a pleading serves as an individual’s key to the courthouse door. The …