Civil Litigation Management Manual, Third Edition

Judicial Conference of the United States, Committee on Court Administration and Case Management

June 13, 2022

This manual provides trial judges a handbook on managing civil cases. It sets out a wide array of case-management techniques, beginning with early case screening and concluding with steps for streamlining trials and final disposition. It also discusses a number of special topics, including pro se and high visibility cases, the role of staff, and automated programs that support case management.

The manual was prepared under the direction of the Judicial Conference Committee on Court Administration and Case Management, with substantial contributions from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and the Federal Judicial Center, and was approved by the Judicial Conference in March 2022. This third edition of the manual supersedes the second edition (2010).  

Open Manual below.