Federal Civil Litigation Filings: A Comprehensive Guide from Complaint to Appeal

47 questions on federal civil litigation filings, answered and cited by the UpLaw editorial team.

• Are federal court filings public?
• Can a plaintiff plead facts on information and belief?
• How are confidential materials handled in discovery?
• How are federal deadlines computed under Rule 6?
• How does an appeal begin, and why is the deadline so dangerous?
• How does a prevailing party collect costs, fees, and the judgment itself?
• How is service of process accomplished under Rule 4?
• How should a litigator think about the timing of filings?
• Is a certificate of service still necessary in the CM/ECF era?
• What administrative filings accompany a complaint?
• What are the main written discovery tools?
• What are the seven grounds for a Rule 12(b) motion to dismiss?
• What documents make up a motion to dismiss package?
• What documents make up a summary judgment motion?
• What does a lawyer certify by signing a court filing under Rule 11?
• What does an answer have to do, and what happens if it misses an allegation?
• What does a party file to obtain emergency relief?
• What filings make up the settlement track of a case?
• What filings occur during a trial?
• What happens at the Rule 26(f) conference?
• What happens if a defendant ignores a complaint?
• What is a Daubert motion and how did the 2023 Rule 702 amendment change it?
• What is a motion in limine?
• What is a Rule 50(a) motion and why must it be made at trial?
• What is CM/ECF and what does "filing" mean in federal court?
• What is the difference between a pleading and a motion?
• What is the difference between compulsory and permissive counterclaims?
• What is the final judgment rule and what are its exceptions?
• What is the final pretrial order and why does it control the trial?
• What is the plausibility standard after Twombly and Iqbal?
• What is the point of all the required paperwork in federal litigation?
• What is the Rule 11 safe harbor?
• What is the Rule 12(g)/(h) consolidation trap?
• What is the Rule 16 scheduling order?
• What is the summary judgment standard?
• What must a federal complaint contain?
• What must an expert report contain?
• What must a party do before filing a motion to compel?
• What paper should exist before a complaint is filed?
• What post-trial motions are available and how long do I have?
• What systems does a litigator need to manage a federal case?
• When can a party amend its pleadings?
• Which discovery documents actually get filed with the court?
• Why do local rules and standing orders matter so much?
• Why is a Rule 30(b)(6) deposition so important against a corporate adversary?
• Why is building a clean trial record so important?
• Why would a defendant waive service of process?