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.

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

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

“Using nationwide injunctions coupled with the kind of blatant forum shopping here is not something that we’ve really seen before in the modern age,” he said.

From New York Times • Nov. 23, 2016

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