For the United States Federal Courts, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP) and Title 28 of the U.S. Code govern the litigation process. Each district and circuit court also has its own local rules that further outline proceedings for lawsuits specific to that particular court. The following resources are links to the FRCP, U.S. Code Title 28, resources to find local rules as well as open access resources you can use to search for the statutes and rules without a login.
The links below will take you the FRCP and U.S. Code Title 28 provided by Westlaw and Lexis+. Each database offers annotated versions of the U.S. Code which provide further information and links to other resources like case law and secondary sources. A Lexis+ or Westlaw login is required to view these resources.
Each individual court website will have information on local rules. You can either search for the specific court on the internet or use USCourts.gov. The Judicial Administration page has a Federal Court Finder where you can search by city, county, or state or by court name and it will provide you with links to relevant court websites. You can filter your search by district circuit as well.
Lexis also provides annotated versions of Local Rules for each Appellate Court District. For example, the following link will take you to the Local Rules for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th District.
Westlaw also provides access to Local Rules for each Federal Circuit Court. On the main page, select the Federal Materials tab and then select the specific Circuit you would like. You can find the court rules under the Statutes and Rules section. Here are the rules for the U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit as an example.
The resources below provide access to the FRCP and USC Title 28 without the need for a login, Unlike the legal research databases Westlaw and Lexis+, these versions are not annotated.
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