forum shopping

American

[fawr-uhm shop-ing] / ˈfɔr əm ˌʃɒp ɪŋ /

Or forum-shopping

noun

Law.

the act or practice of choosing a jurisdiction in which to file a lawsuit as a way of trying to increase one's chance of winning the case.

She was accused of forum shopping after she filed her case in a state she was not a resident of, but where defamation laws are stricter.

Etymology

Origin of forum shopping

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

forum shopping

Injunctions are also criticised for enabling what is known as forum shopping - the practice of filing a lawsuit in a jurisdiction where a more favourable ruling is likely.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2025

One motion argued filing in the Northern District of Texas venue was a blatant attempt at "forum shopping."

From Salon ● Mar. 7, 2025

Now, forum shopping is about to get harder.

From New York Times ● Mar. 12, 2024

The court concluded that “in this case, the Debtor is not just forum shopping; the Debtor is manufacturing forum and creating a venue to file bankruptcy.”

From Slate ● Jan. 31, 2023

Multistate litigation also provides greater opportunity for forum shopping.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 24, 2019

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023