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Federal Court Rules

Overview

"Court rules are designed to guide and regulate the conduct of judicial business. They range from procedural details . . . to matters of substantial importance." Kent C. Olson, et al., Principles of Legal Research § 13.1 (3rd ed. 2020).

When practicing in federal court, it is important to follow the correct set of court rules. This guide will lead Jenkins' members to where they can find the following rules:

  • Rules of the Supreme Court of the United States
  • Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure
  • Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure
  • Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
  • Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure
  • Federal Rules of Evidence
  • Federal Local Circuit and District Court Rules

The United States Courts website links to PDFs of the Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules of Criminal Procedure, and Rules of Evidence. Use the Federal Court Finder to find Federal Local Court websites, which often provide PDFs of the court rules.

Some circuit and district court rules may be available in the Federal volume of the State court rules published by West. To find these rules, search the Jenkins' catalog for federal court rules and the state name.