Legal Research

Revised Local Rules for Eastern Dist of WI Includes New Section on Citation to Unpublished Materials

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin has published new local rules effective Feb. 1, 2010.

Note in particular new Civil Local Rule 7 (j) governing citations to unpublished materials. It appears below along with the committee comment.

(j) Citations.
(1) With the exception of the prohibitions in Seventh Circuit Rule 32.1, this Court does not prohibit the citation of unreported or nonprecedential opinions, decisions, orders, judgments, or other written dispositions.
(2) If a party cites an unreported opinion, decision, order, judgment or other written disposition, the party must file and serve a copy of that opinion, decision, order, judgment, or other written
disposition.

Committee Comment:

Civil L. R. 7(j) addressing "unreported" or non-precedential authorities is also new. The provision clarifies the Court's existing practice of allowing the citation of authorities in addition to those reported in printed national reporters, with the exception of orders whose citation and consideration is prohibited by Seventh Circuit Rule 32.1. Civil L. R. 7(j) additionally requires a party relying on such an authority to file a copy of that authority and serve it on all parties.

Notably, with the exception of orders subject to Circuit Rule 32.1, the new provision does not bar the citation of decisions or orders even if a rule would bar the citation of the decision to the court that issued the decision or to any other court. The Court may take limitations on the authority's use before other courts, as well as the "unpublished" or "non-precedential" nature of the authority, into consideration when deciding the weight, if any, to be afforded to the authority.

Hat tip to Barbara Fritschel, US Courts Library

Full post as published by WisBlawg - From the UW Law Library on February 02, 2010 (boomark / email).