“judgement as a matter of law”为判决的一种，相异于陪审团的裁决。它系为做出与陪审团所做出的裁决相反的判决，亦即，当陪审团的裁决对原告有利时，做出对被告有利的判决；当陪审团的裁决对被告有利时，则做出对原告有利的判决。可以说是在陪审团的裁决错误时，才做JMOL判决。亦即，只要是一般合理的陪审，当法官判断为对于争点做出对当事者有利的裁决却没有法律上足够的证据时，可以做出JMOL判决。Fed. R. Civ. P. 50(a)(1) (JMOL is appropriate when "a party has been fully heard on an issue and there is no legally sufficient basis for a reasonable jury to find for that party on that issue.")。因此，除非是在陪审团的裁决没有受实质的証据所支持时；或是基据错误的法律做判断时，不然JMOL判决是不适当的。虽然陪审团的裁决对当事者不利，法官可以答覆当事者的声请做出JMOL判决，但是仅限于在该当事者进入审判（trial）前，“サマリージャジメント”声请（申し立て）被驳回时。

“judgement as a matter of law”在Wikipedia中的解释为：A motion for judgment as a matter of law (JMOL) is a motion made by a party, during trial, claiming the opposing party has insufficient evidence to reasonably support its case. JMOL is also known as a directed verdict, which it has replaced in American federal courts. 可译为“依法律判决”。

e.g. A party may move for summary judgement when there is no dispute as to the material facts of the case and a party is entitled to judgement as a matter of law.

在对案件的重大事实没有争议的情况下，当事方 如 依 法 有权 得 到判决 ，可正 式请求当即判决。

以上。