Federal+Rules+and+Jury+Instructions

__Where to Find Cases Construing Court Rules__
 * FEDERAL RULES OF GENERAL APPLICATION**
 * Federal Rules of Civil Procedure: located in Appendix of USCA Title 28. Became effective September 16, 1938.
 * Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure: located in Appendix of USCA Title 18. Became effective March 21, 1946.
 * Federal Rules of Evidence: located in Appendix of USCA Title 18. Became effective July 1, 1975.
 * Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure: located in Appendix of USCA Title 28. Became effective July 1, 1968.
 * **USCA**: look in appendix to find case annotations
 * **USCS**: look in Court Rules volumes to find case annotations
 * **Federal Rules Decisions** (F.R.D.): contains cases of the federal district courts that interpret the FRCP and Fed Rules Crim. Proc.
 * **Moore’s Federal Practice/Rules Pamphlets**: good treatise discussing rules and federal practice. On Lexis.
 * **Federal Procedure, Lawyers Edition**: good treatise reproduces the rules and advisory committee notes. Includes some case annotations. On Westlaw in database FEDPROC.
 * **Federal Practice and Procedure** (Wright and Miller): good treatise and overview of federal practice issues. On Westlaw in database FPP.
 * **Westlaw**: can search the Federal Rules Decisions Multibase (FRD) which will search articles, cases and rules from the FRD. You can also search for articles, cases and rules in separate databases.
 * **Lexis**: under Statutes, Regulations, Administrative Material & Court Rules. Can search the USCS for cases construing court rules.


 * LOCAL COURT RULES**
 * United States Supreme Court
 * United States Courts of Appeals
 * United States District Courts
 * United States Bankruptcy Courts
 * **Westlaw**: look in folder Local Federal Court Rules by State. Select particular state you are interested in. It will search for federal local rules within that state. Also can search database KeyRules which contains an outline of the applicable rules of practice, timing requirements, filing and service requirements, hearing information, checklists and other pertinent documents related to pleadings, motions, requests, notices, and applications each states’ federal district courts.
 * **Lexis**: includes local rule information for each circuit and district court.


 * FEDERAL PATTERN/MODEL JURY INSTRUCTIONS**
 * Remember: pattern jury instructions are examples of what instructions for a particular court/cause of action/charged crime could be. They are not absolute.
 * Jury instructions should be looked at when you don’t know how to prove your case! Follow the elements listed and the respective jury charges associated with it.
 * Always look at jury instructions before a jury charge conference.

__Where to Find Jury Instructions__
 * **Westlaw**: in the following databases FED-JI (Federal Jury Practice and Instruction); FED-JICRIM (Federal Jury Practice and Instructions: Criminal); FED-JICIV (Federal Jury Practice and Instructions: Civil). Not all circuits are included.
 * **Lexis**: under Court Records, Briefs and Filings, Jury Instructions. Includes database on All Federal Jury Instruction Filings.
 * Not all civil and criminal jury instructions are online. The following list is not exhaustive but represents some circuits with online jury instructions:

__Model Civil Jury Instructions by Federal Circuit__
 * First Circuit
 * Third Circuit
 * Fifth Circuit
 * Seventh Circuit
 * Eighth Circuit
 * Ninth Circuit
 * Eleventh Circuit

__Model Criminal Jury Instructions by Federal Circuit__
 * First Circuit
 * Third Circuit
 * Fifth Circuit
 * Sixth Circuit
 * Seventh Circuit
 * Eighth Circuit
 * Ninth Circuit
 * Tenth Circuit
 * Eleventh Circuit