contents & context
These rules govern the conduct of all civil actions brought in Federal district courts. While they do not apply to suits in state courts, the rules of many states have been closely modeled on these provisions.
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (2010)
(incorporating the revisions that took effect Dec. 1, 2010)
I. SCOPE OF RULES; FORM OF ACTION
II. COMMENCING AN ACTION; SERVICE OF PROCESS, PLEADINGS, MOTIONS, AND ORDERS
III. PLEADINGS AND MOTIONS
IV. PARTIES
V. DISCLOSURES AND DISCOVERY
VI. TRIALS
VII. JUDGMENT
VIII. PROVISIONAL AND FINAL REMEDIES
IX. SPECIAL PROCEEDINGS
X. DISTRICT COURTS AND CLERKS: CONDUCTING BUSINESS; ISSUING ORDERS
XI. GENERAL PROVISIONS
XII. APPENDIX OF FORMS
XIII. SUPPLEMENTAL RULES FOR ADMIRALTY OR MARITIME CLAIMS AND ASSET FORFEITURE ACTIONS
I. SCOPE OF RULES--ONE FORM OF ACTION
II. COMMENCEMENT OF ACTION; SERVICE OF PROCESS, PLEADINGS, MOTIONS, AND ORDERS
- 3. Commencing an Action
- 4. Summons
- 4.1. Serving Other Process
- 5. Serving and Filing Pleadings and Other Papers
- 5.1. Constitutional Challenge to a Statute - Notice, Certification, and Intervention
- 5.2. Privacy Protection For Filings Made with the Court
- 6. Computing and Extending Time; Time for Motion Papers
- 7. Pleadings Allowed; Form of Motions and Other Papers
- 7.1. Disclosure Statement
- 8. General Rules of Pleading
- 9. Pleading Special Matters
- 10. Form of Pleadings
- 11. Signing Pleadings, Motions, and Other Papers; Representations to the Court; Sanctions
- 12. Defenses and Objections: When and How Presented; Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings; Consolidating Motions; Waiving Defenses; Pretrial Hearing
- 13. Counterclaim and Crossclaim
- 14. Third-Party Practice
- 15. Amended and Supplemental Pleadings
- 16. Pretrial Conferences; Scheduling; Management
- 17. Plaintiff and Defendant; Capacity; Public Officers
- 18. Joinder of Claims
- 19. Required Joinder of Parties
- 20. Permissive Joinder of Parties
- 21. Misjoinder and Nonjoinder of Parties
- 22. Interpleader
- 23. Class Actions
- 23.1. Derivative Actions
- 23.2. Actions Relating to Unincorporated Associations
- 24. Intervention
- 25. Substitution of Parties
- 26. Duty to Disclose; General Provisions Governing Discovery
- 27. Depositions to Perpetuate Testimony
- 28. Persons Before Whom Depositions May Be Taken
- 29. Stipulations Regarding Discovery Procedure
- 30. Deposition by Oral Examination
- 31. Depositions by Written Questions
- 32. Using Depositions in Court Proceedings
- 33. Interrogatories to Parties
- 34. Producing Documents, Electronically Stored Information, and Tangible Things, or Entering onto Land, for Inspection and Other Purposes
- 35. Physical and Mental Examinations
- 36. Requests for Admission
- 37. Failure to Make Disclosures or to Cooperate in Discovery; Sanctions
- 38. Right to a Jury Trial; Demand
- 39. Trial by Jury or by the Court
- 40. Scheduling Cases for Trial
- 41. Dismissal of Actions
- 42. Consolidation; Separate Trials
- 43. Taking Testimony
- 44. Proving an Official Record
- 44.1. Determining Foreign Law
- 45. Subpoena
- 46. Objecting to a Ruling or Order
- 47. Selection of Jurors
- 48. Number of Jurors: Verdict
- 49. Special Verdict; General Verdict and Questions
- 50. Judgment as a Matter of Law in a Jury Trial; Related Motion for a New Trial; Conditional Ruling
- 51. Instructions to the Jury; Objections; Preserving a Claim of Error
- 52. Findings and Conclusions by the Court; Judgment on Partial Findings
- 53. Masters
- 54. Judgments; Costs
- 55. Default; Default Judgment
- 56. Summary Judgment
- 57. Declaratory Judgments
- 58. Entry of Judgment
- 59. New Trial; Altering or Amending a Judgment
- 60. Relief from Judgment or Order
- 61. Harmless Error
- 62. Stay of Proceedings to Enforce a Judgment
- 63. Judge’s Inability to Proceed
VIII. PROVISIONAL AND FINAL REMEDIES
- 64. Seizing a Person or Property
- 65. Injunctions and Restraining Orders
- 65.1 Proceedings Against a Surety
- 66. Receivers
- 67. Deposit into Court
- 68. Offer of Judgment
- 69. Execution
- 70. Enforcing a Judgment for a Specific Act
- 71. Enforcing Relief For or Against a Nonparty
- 71.1 Condemning Real or Personal Property
- 72. Magistrate Judges: Pretrial Orders
- 73. Magistrate Judges: Trial by Consent; Appeal
- 74. [Abrogated]
- 75. [Abrogated]
- 76. [Abrogated]
- 77. Conducting Business; Clerk’s Authority; Notice of an Order or Judgment
- 78. Hearing Motions; Submission on Briefs
- 79. Records Kept by the Clerk
- 80. Stenographic Transcript as Evidence
- 81. Applicability of the Rules in General; Removed Actions
- 82. Jurisdiction and Venue Unaffected
- 83. Rules by District Courts; Judge's Directives
- 84. Forms
- 85. Title
- 86. Effective Date
XII. APPENDIX OF FORMS (U.S. Courts site)
XIII. SUPPLEMENTAL RULES FOR CERTAIN ADMIRALTY AND MARITIME CLAIMS