The Legal System, Explained #1: A Case’s Journey through the Courts

^{Published: October 16, 2025}

The resources and tools on our website, including our federal litigation tracker, are intended to be accessible for legal and non-legal professionals. To further enhance understanding, this series, The Legal System, Explained, will break down key aspects of the legal process. This explainer, the first of the series, will provide insight into how civil cases like the ones in the tracker move through the courts. It won’t cover every detail of how cases are litigated, but it will provide a bird’s-eye view of the major steps in a case from start to finish, using Duvall v. Novant Health, Inc. as an example.

1. Initiating the Case

To bring a legal claim against an individual or entity, a plaintiff files a complaint in a court, detailing the alleged wrongdoing of the defendant and the remedies they are seeking. In addition to filing the complaint with the court, a summons is served to the defendant, which notifies them that they are being sued and must respond to the complaint and appear in court.

Plaintiff Duvall, a white man, filed a complaint against his former employer, Novant Health. He alleged that he was fired because of his race and sex. In the complaint, he offered facts about what occurred at the workplace to support his claim, including that his performance during his employment was highly rated. To remedy the termination, he asked for reinstatement and full back pay.

2. Responding to the Complaint

Before filing a formal answer, the defendant can raise motions, which are requests by the court to act in a certain way. Usually the request at this stage is a motion to dismiss the case without having to formally address the allegations. For example, the defendant might argue that the plaintiff does not have the right to sue, a concept known as standing. If the request is granted, the case is dismissed and ends. However, if the request is not granted or only partially granted, such that issues in the complaint still remain, the defendant will file an answer that addresses each remaining allegation. The answer can include their version of the events, admissions, denials, and counterclaims against the plaintiff.

Novant Health did not raise a separate motion but instead filed their answer with the court. In their answer, they denied the allegations against them, raised defenses such as that the decision to terminate was for legitimate business reasons and not discriminatory, and asked the court to dismiss the case because Duvall hadn’t alleged sufficient facts to support his claim.

3. Gathering and Sharing Evidence

During this phase, both sides engage in “discovery,” which involves the parties exchanging information, interviewing witnesses, and obtaining documents that could be used as evidence in the trial.

Duvall and Novant Health exchanged discovery requests, asking for documents and materials they believed were relevant to the case and in the other party’s possession. Duvall’s performance records during his tenure at the company would likely have been key pieces of evidence used to support or challenge his claims of discrimination.

4. Resolving the Case Before Trial

Once a factual record is established through discovery, either party can file a motion for summary judgment to avoid trial. In this motion, a party argues that there are no facts in dispute and no way that a reasonable jury could find against the party bringing the motion. If the court agrees, it grants summary judgment and the case ends. If not, the case goes to trial.

In this case, both parties asked the court for summary judgment. Novant Health argued that Duvall himself testified he never felt discriminated against and that the factual record supported that Duvall was not meeting legitimate performance expectations. Duvall asked for summary judgment on some, but not all, of his claims, arguing that the factual record showed, as a matter of law, that race and sex were motivating factors in his termination. The court denied both requests, finding that there were issues and facts in dispute that could allow a jury to reach a verdict for either side.

5. Trial (…or Maybe Not)

The plaintiff and defendant present their case in front of a factfinder (the judge or jury) based on evidence and witnesses gathered from the discovery process. Both parties can settle (come to an agreement that resolves the case) at any point in the process, including just before trial. If they don’t, the case goes to trial and awaits the factfinder’s decision, which lays out whether the plaintiff wins their case or not. If the plaintiff wins, the factfinder also decides how the claims will be remedied, whether through monetary compensation or some other request made by the plaintiff.

Almost two years after Duvall filed his case, it went to trial. The jury found in his favor, concluding that he had proven that race and sex were motivating factors in his termination. They awarded him lost earnings and future lost earnings (in situations where reinstatement is not feasible) and $10 million in punitive damages. The judge later reduced the punitive award to $300,000.

6. Appealing the Decision

When a party is unsatisfied with the court’s decision and believes legal mistakes were made, they can appeal to a higher court to review it. The higher court will either agree with the lower court’s decision or vacate it (set it aside).

Novant Health appealed the jury’s verdict to the appeals court. They upheld the verdict but set aside the punitive award, finding that there was insufficient evidence to justify it.