cert. granted

Law & Legal abbreviation · Legal Citation

cert. granted
Stands forCertiorari granted
CategoriesLaw & Legal

cert. granted stands for Certiorari granted, a legal citation abbreviation.

Citation phrase showing that the US Supreme Court has agreed to review the cited decision, which therefore remains open to reversal. It appears in citations to lower-court decisions while the case is pending before the Court.

Example: Doe v. Roe, 50 F.4th 100 (9th Cir. 2022), cert. granted, 143 S. Ct. 500 (2023), is still pending.

Usage notes

Under the Rule of Four, the votes of four justices are enough to grant certiorari. Once the Court decides the case, the citation is updated to show the result, such as "aff'd" or "rev'd". A case the Court later declines to decide is "dismissed as improvidently granted", known as a DIG.

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This entry is for general education and is not legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.