Georgetown Law
Georgetown Law Library

Federal Court Rules Research Guide

This guide identifies the most important sources for finding federal court rules; it identifies the materials that help in the interpretation of those rules; and finally, suggests some sources for federal procedural forms.

About the Supplementary Rules for Admiralty and Maritime Claims

  • When admiralty and maritime cases are heard in the U.S. District Courts, the proceedings are governed by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure as supplemented by the Supplemental Rules for Admiralty and Maritime Claims.
  • Local rules may also apply.

Free Online Sources

Major Electronic Sources

Major Print Sources

Title 28 Rules volumes of the United States Code Annotated (U.S.C.A.) (West)

  • Located at the end of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, after the Title 28 volumes of U.S.C.A. 
  • Provides the text of rules, advisory committee notes, case annotations, and cross references to secondary sources such as law review articles, West's Legal Forms, West's Federal Practice Manual, Wright and Miller's Federal Practice and Procedure, and others.
  • An index to the Supplemental Rules for Admiralty or Maritime Claims and Asset Forfeiture Actions appears at the end of in the last volume containing those rules.
  • Locations:
    • Current: KF62 1927.A3 (located in the Reading Room)
    • Historic (back to 1960): Located in Historic Core; ask at the Williams Circulation Desk

Court Rules volumes of the United States Code Service (U.S.C.S.) (Lexis)

  • Located with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure after the Title 50 volumes of U.S.C.S. 
  • Provides the text of the rules, advisory committee notes, case annotations, and cross references to secondary sources such as law review articles, American Jurisprudence Trials, American Jurisprudence Pleading and Practice Forms, Moore's Federal Practice, and others.
  • An index to the Supplemental Rules for Admiralty or Maritime Claims and Asset Forfeiture Actions appears at the end of the volume containing those rules.
  • Locations:
    • Current: KF62 1972.U5 (located in the Reading Room)
    • Historic (back to 1978): Located in Historic Core; ask at the Williams Circulation Desk

Title 28, Appendix of the United States Code (U.S.C.) (G.P.O.)

  • Located at the end of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure at the end of the last volume containing portions of Title 28.
  • This official source includes the text of the rules and advisory committee notes, but does not provide case annotations.
  • Tends to be out-of-date, as main editions are published only once every six years, although annual cumulative supplements are published between main editions.
  • Locations:
    • Current: KF62 2006 .A2 (located in the Reading Room)
    • Historic (back to 1934): located in Historic Core; ask at the Williams Circulation Desk
    • Electronic (PDF) (1925 - current): available on HeinOnline

West's Federal Civil Judicial Procedure and Rules

  • Provides the unannotated text of the rules and advisory committee notes.
  • Includes an index which provides subject access to all of the rule sets (e.g., Federal Rules of Evidence, Supplemental Rules for Admiralty or Maritime Claims and Asset Forfeiture Actions) in the volume.
  • Locations: