Twiqbal

Definition

Twiqbal is a nickname for two United States Supreme Court decisions that address the pleading standards for federal civil lawsuits. The decisions hold that to adequately state a claim, a complaint must include sufficient facts to make the plaintiff’s claim plausible instead of merely speculative. To apply this test, a court first must assume that all the facts alleged are true. The court need not assume the truth of any legal conclusions. The court then must draw on experience and common sense to decide whether the presumed facts permit a reasonable inference that the defendant is liable. See Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007); Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662 (2009).