Creating a legal style of case with line at bottom and in the middle

Questions
1

In legal pleadings, there is the style of the case. This includes the plantiff, defendant and case number.

Where I practice, I use the following

PLAINTIFF

VS

DEFENDANT

There is a line in the middle and a line at the bottome that covers half the page up to the middle line. I can’t recreate it here, but here is the code I have so far. I can’t get the middle line or bottome line right.

#set page(
paper: “us-letter”,
margin: 1.5in,
numbering: “1”
)

#set text(
font: “Libertinus Serif”,
size: 12pt,
)

#set align(center)
#show “In The”: smallcaps
#show “United States District Court”: smallcaps
#show “For the Eastern District of Virginia”: smallcaps
In The\
United States District Court
For the Eastern District of Virginia\

#show “Plaintiff”: smallcaps
#show “Defendant”: smallcaps

#grid(
columns: auto,
rows: (auto, 12pt),
gutter: 1em,
)
// LEFT: Plaintiff block
#align(left)[
INSERT NAME OF PLAINTIFF,
Plaintiff,

vs. #h(1fr) C A. No: CV-xxxxxx=xx]

//#grid.vline(
//x: autoint,
//start: int,
//end: noneint,
//position: alignment,
//)

#curve(
curve.line((0pt, 90pt)),
)

// MIDDLE: vertical line
//#rect(
//width: 1pt, // thickness of the line
//height: 100%, // match the height of this grid row)
//)

// RIGHT: Defendant block
#align(left)[
INSERT NAME OF DEFENDANT,
Defendant.
]
#line(horzonal, length: 50%)

#set align(center)

Complaint
Introduction\

#set enum(numbering: “1.”, body-indent: 1em)
#set align(left)

  • this is a test of numbering paragraphs of a complaint and of using single spacing for the text.
  • also need to make the line longer to see how it looks and if it wraps,and it does wrap. if you type enough.
  • This is test
2

I believe this should be a rather easy task.

Before continuing, I recommend you:

  • Format this post, see How to post in the Questions category.
  • For a visual question like this, it’s helpful to attach images.
  • Add whether what you have so far is able to compile.
    • Or, if you for some reason can’t check that, mention this was made by AI, if it’s the case. I bring that up because it’s not the first time wrong quotes were used. Though I could be wrong and it’s automatically formatted like that by the forum.

Using a grid should achieve what I assume is what you’re asking for:

#set par(justify: true)
#show heading.where(level: 1): set align(center)

#let field(name) = grid(
  columns: 1fr,
  align: right,
  v(2em),
  line(length: 100%),
  smallcaps(name),
)

#grid(
  columns: (1fr, 1fr),
  inset: 1em,
  align: center + horizon,
  grid.cell(
    stroke: (right: 1pt, bottom: 1pt)
  )[
    #field[Plaintiff]
    vs.
    #field[Defendant]
  ],
  [
    C A. No: CV-xxxxxx=xx
  ],
)

= Complaint introduction

#lorem(50)
Output

pleading
pleading740×365 39.3 KB

1 Like
3

Thank you for this. I did try to upload an image but it would not let me because I was a new user.

It looks like you cracked it. I’ll let you know how it works in the morning.