Background - Practices (Details)
Federal Court and Gov't Agency E-Discovery Rules & Guidelines
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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

 *Pacer login required to access court rules

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

  • https://www.nyed.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/local_rules/localrules.pdf

New York - Northern District

  • http://www.nynd.uscourts.gov/documents/GO25_019.pdf

New York - Southern District

New York - Western District

  • http://www.nywd.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/civil%20-%202013.pdf

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

  • http://www.wied.uscourts.gov/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=125&Itemid=30

Wyoming
  • http://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/pdfforms/localrules-cv.pdf

 

Circuit Courts

7th Circuit

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