Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP) became effective in 1938. They provide a set of procedural rules that govern civil proceedings in the United States federal district courts. The FRCP addresses issues such as  requirements for filing and notice, discovery, trials, and types of judgments. The Supreme Court, through 28 U.S.C. § 2072 (the Rules Enabling Act), has the power to prescribe these rules. The Rules are promulgated by the Supreme Court, then transmitted to Congress before taking effect. The Rules are periodically amended, and were last amended in December 2022.

The official version of the FRCP can be found at https://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure. The amendments to the FRCP scheduled to take effect on December 1, 2023 can be found at https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/frcv23_3eah.pdf. The following version of the rules includes this amendment.