The Guide to Judicial Practices In Florida's Federal Courts: An invaluable source of information for federal practitioners.

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Federal practitioners are well advised to review the federal rules, local rules, case management and scheduling orders, and any discovery practice manuals that may exist in their district. (1) These sources of information, however, do not completely address each of the practices and procedures of the individual federal judges. Indeed, Fed. R. Civ. P. 83(b) expressly recognizes that "A judge may regulate practice in any manner consistent with federal law, rules adopted under 28 U.S.C. [section] [section] 2072 and 2075, and the district's local rules." Accordingly, because the judicial practices and procedures may vary from one judge to another judge even within the same district, it is particularly important that practitioners become familiar with individual practices and procedures of the judge before whom they are appearing in federal court.

In an effort to help attorneys familiarize themselves with the judicial practices and procedures of many of the federal judges in the State of Florida, the Federal Court Practice Committee of The Florida Bar provides a free online resource: The Guide to Judicial Practices in Florida's Federal Courts ("the Guide"). The Guide is found by visiting The Florida Bar's website, and selecting the page for the Federal Court Practice Committee (under "Standing Committees"), then clicking on the Guide, or by visiting this link directly: https// www.floridabar.org/directories/courts/fcpcguide/. First published by the Committee approximately 23 years ago, (2) the Guide is one of the only statewide federal practice resources in the nation that is provided at no cost to practitioners.

The Guide includes completed judicial practice surveys of approximately 100 federal judges including appellate judges serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, and U.S. District Judges, U.S. Magistrate Judges, and U.S. Bankruptcy Judges from the Middle, Southern, and Northern Districts of Florida. The guide addresses some of the following topics:

1. The judge's policy concerning communications with the judicial staff including:

   * whether it is appropriate to telephone chambers regarding questions of procedure on pending matters, and

   * whether it is appropriate to telephone chambers regarding the status of pending matters;

2. The judge's criminal pretrial procedures including:

   * whether the defendant is required to be present at the status conferences,

   * whether the district judge prefers conducting...