Legal Definitions - judge-shopping

Definition: Judge-shopping is the act of filing multiple lawsuits with the same claims in a court or district that has multiple judges. The goal is to have one of the lawsuits assigned to a favorable judge and dismiss the others. This is different from forum-shopping, which is the practice of choosing a court based on the likelihood of a favorable outcome.

Let's say a company is being sued for patent infringement. They may file multiple lawsuits in different courts, hoping that one of the cases will be assigned to a judge who has a history of ruling in favor of defendants in patent cases. By doing this, they increase their chances of winning the case or getting a more favorable outcome.

Another example could be a person who is suing their employer for discrimination. They may file multiple lawsuits in different courts, hoping that one of the cases will be assigned to a judge who is sympathetic to their cause. This could increase their chances of winning the case or getting a larger settlement.

These examples illustrate how judge-shopping can be used to gain an advantage in a legal case. By filing multiple lawsuits and hoping for a favorable judge, the plaintiff or defendant can increase their chances of success.