What is it called when a petitioner in a civil case asks for ruling on a point of law?
<p>In civil court cases, the main focus of the plaintiff is usually some specific remedy like receiving money from the defendant, or the receipt of a court order. However, the plaintiff may also want the court to rule on a point of law because such a ruling might be relevant to an appeal or to a different court case to which the plaintiff is a party.</p>

<p>For example, imagine that a plaintiff sues an auto dealership for installing a part during a repair that the plaintiff claims the dealership knew was defective. Imagine the dealership claims immunity because of a state law that makes dealers immune from claims due to defective parts. In this case the plaintiff might ask the court for two things: (1) monetary damages from the dealership, and (2) an opinion from the court that the state law giving immunity is void because of some reason (incompatible with the state's constitution or whatever).</p>

<p>What is the request for the court's opinion (2) called?</p>

<p>It sounds like you're talking about declaratory judgment, available in the federal courts under <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/2201" rel="nofollow noreferrer">28 U.S.C. § 2201</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>[A]ny court of the United States, upon the filing of an appropriate
  pleading, may declare the rights and other legal relations of any
  interested party .... Any such declaration shall have the force and
  effect of a final judgment or decree and shall be reviewable as such.</p>
</blockquote>

united-states legal-terms