Question 1

Where can I find the local rules for all U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals?

Accepted Answer

LocalPractice.com provides free, direct links to the local rules and internal operating procedures for all 13 U.S. Courts of Appeals, from the First Circuit through the Federal Circuit. No login or payment is required.

Question 2

What are Internal Operating Procedures (IOPs) in federal appellate courts?

Accepted Answer

Internal Operating Procedures (IOPs) are guidelines adopted by federal circuit courts that describe the court's internal operations, such as how cases are assigned to panels, how oral arguments are scheduled, and how opinions are issued. Most circuit courts publish IOPs alongside or separately from their local rules.

Question 3

Do all federal circuit courts have both local rules and IOPs?

Accepted Answer

Most of the 13 U.S. Courts of Appeals publish both local rules and internal operating procedures. Some courts, like the Ninth and Tenth Circuits, publish practice guides instead of formal IOPs. LocalPractice.com links to the appropriate resource for each court.

Question 4

How many U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals are there?

Accepted Answer

There are 13 U.S. Courts of Appeals: the First through Eleventh Circuits, the D.C. Circuit, and the Federal Circuit. Each court has its own local rules governing appellate practice.

Court	Abbr.	Local Rules	IOP / Guides	Verified
First Circuit	1st Cir.	View →	View →	Mar. 2026
Second Circuit	2d Cir.	View →	View →	Mar. 2026
Third Circuit	3d Cir.	View →	View →	Mar. 2026
Fourth Circuit	4th Cir.	View →	View →	Mar. 2026
Fifth Circuit	5th Cir.	View →	View →	Mar. 2026
Sixth Circuit	6th Cir.	View →	View →	Mar. 2026
Seventh Circuit	7th Cir.	View →	View →	Mar. 2026
Eighth Circuit	8th Cir.	View →	View →	Mar. 2026
Ninth Circuit	9th Cir.	View →	View →	Mar. 2026
Tenth Circuit	10th Cir.	View →	View →	Mar. 2026
Eleventh Circuit	11th Cir.	View →	View →	Mar. 2026
D.C. Circuit	D.C. Cir.	View →	View →	Mar. 2026
Federal Circuit	Fed. Cir.	View →	View →	Mar. 2026

Local Rules and Practice in the U.S. Courts of Appeals

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