To quote Macauley Culkin as Kevin McCallister in Home Alone, “This is it. Don’t get scared now.”

Really. There’s no reason to get scared: We’re just talking about proposed amendments to the Federal Rules of Practice and Procedure.

The amendments propose changes to the following rules:

  • Appellate Rule 6
  • Bankruptcy Rules 1014, 7004, 7008, 7012, 7016, 7054, 8001-8028, 9023, 9024, 9027, and 9033, and Official Forms 9033, and Official Forms 9033, and Official Forms
  • Criminal Rules 5 and 58
  • Evidence Rules 801 and 803

The Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedures says that all comments – favorable, adverse, or otherwise – will be carefully considered by the rules committees. Just keep in mind that comments are publicly available because they are part of the official record.

(Links to the comments on the proposed amendments are already available on the U.S. Courts website, though no comments had been reproduced on the website at the time this post was published.)

Comments concerning the proposed amendments may be submitted electronically to rules_comments@ao.uscourts.gov or in hard copy to: Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure, Administrative Office of the United States Courts, Suite 7-240, Washington, D.C., 20544.

If “commenting on a proposed federal rule change” is on your bucket list, be sure to submit your thoughts before the comment period closes on February 15.

Related Resources:

  • Federal Rulemaking Process (U.S. Courts)
  • Expert Witness Testimony Not Limited to Expert Report Content (FindLaw’s First Circuit Blog)
  • Law Students May Appear Before First Circuit Under Amended Rule (FindLaw’s First Circuit Blog)

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