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.

Contents

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About the Rules of the U.S. Courts of [Military] Criminal Appeals

Appeals from courts-martial may currently be made to the Courts of Criminal Appeals. There are a total of four such courts, one for each branch of the military: Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard. All four sit in Washington, D.C. They follow the same basic procedural rules, with perhaps some minor variations.

Major Electronic Sources

Major Print Sources

Title 10 of the United States Code Annotated (U.S.C.A.) (West)

  • Located in the Title 10 volumes of U.S.C.A., following 10 U.S.C.A. § 866. 
  • Provides the text of rules, advisory committee notes, case annotations, and cross references to secondary sources such as West's Legal Forms and Wright and Miller's Federal Practice and Procedure, and others.
  • 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 after the Title 50 volumes of U.S.C.S.
  • Provides the text of the rules, case annotations, and cross references to Federal Procedure Lawyers Edition and other secondary sources.
  • An index to the Rules of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces 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 10, Appendix of the United States Code (U.S.C.) (G.P.O.)

  • Located at the end of the last volume containing portions of Title 10. 
  • 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  • Tends to be out-of-date, as main editions are published only once every six years, although annual cumulative supplements are published between main editions.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