Federal Court and Government Agency E-Discovery Rules and Guidelines

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

• E-Discovery (ESI) Guidelines

Colorado

• In The United States District Court for the District of Colorado
• Instructions for Preparation of Scheduling Order

Connecticut

• http://www.ctd.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/local_rules/Revised%20Local%20Rules%20%2011-15-2012.pdf

Delaware

• http://www.ded.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/Chambers/SLR/Misc/EDiscov.pdf

Florida - Middle District

• http://www.flmd.uscourts.gov/Forms/Civil/Discovery_Practice_Manual.pdf

Florida - Southern District

• http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/December-2012-Local-Rules.pdf

Georgia - Northern District

• http://www.gand.uscourts.gov/pdf/NDGARulesCV.pdf
• http://www.gand.uscourts.gov/pdf/NDGARulesAppB.pdf

Georgia - Southern District

• http://www.gas.uscourts.gov/lr/pdf/RULE26F.pdf

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

• The United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa
• http://www.iasd.uscourts.gov/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=1027&Itemid=181

Kansas

• http://www.ksd.uscourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/electronicdiscoveryguidelines.pdf
• http://www.ksd.uscourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Initial-Order-Regarding-Planning-and-Scheduling.docx

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

• http://www.moed.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/03_01.pdf

Nebraska

• http://www.ned.uscourts.gov/internetDocs/forms/form35.doc

New Hampshire

• The United States District Court District of New Hampshire

New Jersey

• The United States District Court District of New Jersey
• Local Civil and Criminal Rules of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

New York - Eastern and Southern District

• Local Rules of the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York

New York - Northern District

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

New York - Southern District

• http://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/rules/rules.pdf
• http://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/rules/Complex_Civil_Rules_Pilot.pdf

New York - Western District

• Clerk's Office

North Carolina - Western District*

• http://www.ncwd.uscourts.gov/Documents/LocalRulesMaster2011.Final.pdf

Ohio - Northern District

• http://www.ohnd.uscourts.gov/assets/Rules_and_Orders/Civil_Rules/CivilRulesAppendixL.pdf
• http://www.ohnd.uscourts.gov/assets/Rules_and_Orders/Local_Patent_Rules/Chapter_VII/Appendix_A.pdf
• http://www.ohnd.uscourts.gov/assets/Rules_and_Orders/Local_Patent_Rules/Chapter_VII/Appendix_B.pdf
• http://www.ohnd.uscourts.gov/assets/Rules_and_Orders/Local_Civil_Rules/Appendices/Appendix_K.pdf

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

• http://www.oknd.uscourts.gov/docs/34dc340b-bff2-4318-9dee-cb0a76bcf054/Guidelines_for_Discovery_of_Electonically_Stored_Information.pdf

Oklahoma - Western District

• http://www.okwd.uscourts.gov/files/localrules_5_1_11a.pdf
• http://www.okwd.uscourts.gov/files/genorders/genord09-5.pdf

Pennsylvania - Eastern District*

• The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

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

• http://www.tnmd.uscourts.gov/files/AO_174_E-Discovery.pdf

Tennessee - Western District

• The United States District Court Western District of Tennessee Local Patent Rules
• The United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee Local Rules (Revised February 10, 2022)

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

• Local Rules of Procedure

Washington - Western District

• Rules of the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Washington

West Virginia - Southern District

• The United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia
• Report of Parties' Planning Meeting

Wisconsin - Eastern District

• http://www.discoverypilot.com/

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

• Rules and Regulations

IRS ESI Guidelines

• Update to Procedures for Complying with E-Discovery Obligations

Bankruptcy Courts

US Bankruptcy Court, District of Maryland

• http://www.mdb.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/localrules.pdf

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

• Local Bankruptcy Rules of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court