A motion for summary judgment and a motion to dismiss are both legal motions that can be made during the course of a lawsuit, but they serve different purposes and are based on different grounds.

A motion for summary judgment is a request for a court to decide a case based on the facts and evidence presented, without the need for a trial. It is typically made after the discovery phase of a lawsuit, when both sides have had an opportunity to gather and exchange evidence. A motion for summary judgment can be made by either the plaintiff or the defendant and the court will grant it if there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact, and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

A motion to dismiss, on the other hand, is a request for a court to dismiss a lawsuit before it goes to trial. It is typically made at the early stages of a lawsuit and it is based on grounds such as lack of jurisdiction, lack of standing, or failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. A motion to dismiss can be made by either the plaintiff or the defendant and the court will grant it if it finds that the lawsuit is legally insufficient, and that the plaintiff does not have a valid legal claim.

In summary, a motion for summary judgment is used to ask a court to decide a case based on the facts and evidence presented, while a motion to dismiss is used to ask a court to dismiss a lawsuit before it goes to trial, based on legal issues such as jurisdiction or failure to state a claim.