With the increased importance of e-discovery in litigation and investigations, many federal district courts and government agencies have enacted specific rules, forms, or other guidance addressing the discovery of electronically stored information (ESI) and governing the conduct of practitioners as it relates to ESI. We have compiled a collection of websites for rules, forms, and guidelines -- from both federal courts and government agencies -- by jurisdiction and/or agency. Practitioners should check the official court or agency website to ensure they have the most current and correct rules, forms, standing orders or other guidance (whether from a court, specific judge, or agency) rather than simply rely on the links provided here. Please also consider that individual judges or agencies may have enacted their own specific or preferred protocols relating to e-discovery.
Federal District Courts
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Alabama - Middle District*
- http://www.almd.uscourts.gov/docs/lorules.pdf
Alaska
- http://www.akd.uscourts.gov/reference/rules/lr/civil.pdf
Arkansas - Eastern and Western Districts
- http://www.are.uscourts.gov/pdfdocs/rules/26.1.pdf
California - Northern District
Colorado
Connecticut
- http://www.ctd.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/local_rules/Revised%20Local%20Rules%20%2011-15-2012.pdf
Delaware
Florida - Middle District
Florida - Southern District
Georgia - Northern District
- http://www.gand.uscourts.gov/pdf/NDGARulesCV.pdf
- http://www.gand.uscourts.gov/pdf/NDGARulesAppB.pdf
Georgia - Southern District
Indiana - Northern District
- http://www.innd.uscourts.gov/docs/localrules/lr.pdf
- http://www.innd.uscourts.gov/docs/PlanningMeeting.pdf
Indiana - Southern District
- http://www.insd.uscourts.gov/Publications/LocalRulesCurrent.pdf
- http://www.insd.uscourts.gov/Forms/UniformCMP.pdf
Iowa - Northern and Southern Districts
Kansas
Maryland
- http://www.mdd.uscourts.gov/localrules/LocalRules-Oct2012Supplement.pdf
- http://www.mdd.uscourts.gov/publications/forms/ESIProtocol.pdf
- http://www.mdd.uscourts.gov/publications/forms/DiscoveryGuidelines.pdf
Massachusetts
- http://www.mad.uscourts.gov/general/pdf/LC/LOCALRULEScombined.pdf
Minnesota
- http://www.mnd.uscourts.gov/local_rules/forms/FORM-3-Rule-26.pdf
- http://www.mnd.uscourts.gov/local_rules/forms/FORM-4-Rule-26.pdf
Mississippi - Northern and Southern Districts
- http://www.msnd.uscourts.gov/sites/msnd/files/forms/2012_LOCAL_UNIFORM_CV_RULES_12-1-12.pdf#page=30
Missouri - Eastern District
Nebraska
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York - Eastern and Southern District
New York - Northern District
- http://www.nynd.uscourts.gov/documents/GO25_019.pdf
New York - Southern District
New York - Western District
North Carolina - Western District*
- http://www.ncwd.uscourts.gov/Documents/LocalRulesMaster2011.Final.pdf
Ohio - Northern District
Ohio - Southern District
- http://www.ohsd.uscourts.gov/generalorders/Dayton/General%20Order%20No.%201%20(2012-1%20rev.)%2011192012.pdf
- http://www.ohsd.uscourts.gov/forms/abreppar.pdf
- http://www.ohsd.uscourts.gov/forms/drule26re.pdf
Oklahoma - Northern District
Oklahoma - Western District
Pennsylvania - Eastern District*
Pennsylvania - Middle District*
- http://www.pamd.uscourts.gov/docs/LR120110.pdf
- http://www.pamd.uscourts.gov/docs/cjrafrm.pdf
Pennsylvania - Western District*
- http://www.pawd.uscourts.gov/Documents/Forms/lrmanual.pdf
Puerto Rico
- http://www.prd.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/documents/94/Local_Rules_amended_as_of_Sept_2_2010_with_TOC.pdf
Tennessee - Middle District
Tennessee - Western District
Texas - Eastern District
- http://www.txed.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/view_document.cgi?document=22217
Texas - Northern District
- http://www.txnd.uscourts.gov/pdf/misc_orders/misc62_11-17-09.pdf
Texas - Southern District
- http://www.txs.uscourts.gov/district/rulesproc/patent/rules.pdf
Utah
- http://www.utd.uscourts.gov/forms/attymtg.pdf
Vermont
Washington - Western District
West Virginia - Southern District
Wisconsin - Eastern District
Federal Circuit
- http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/images/stories/announcements/Ediscovery_Model_Order.pdf
DOJ and Other Government Agencies
DOJ/FPD Criminal ESI Protocol
- http://www.fd.org/docs/litigation-support/final-esi-protocol.pdf
FTC ESI Rules
IRS ESI Guidelines
Bankruptcy Courts
US Bankruptcy Court, District of Maryland
US Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware
- http://www.deb.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/local_rules/Local_Rules_2013.pdf
US Bankruptcy Court, District of Hawaii
- http://www.hib.uscourts.gov/localrules/LBRs_2011_12.pdf
US Bankruptcy Court, District Utah
- http://www.utb.uscourts.gov/clerks_office/forms/act2005/form%2035_12_06.pdf
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Pennsylvania