FRCP
Law & Legal abbreviation · Litigation
| Stands for | Federal Rules of Civil Procedure |
|---|---|
| Categories | Law & Legal |
FRCP stands for Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a litigation abbreviation.
Practitioner shorthand for the rules governing civil cases in US district courts, covering pleadings, motions, joinder, class actions, discovery, trials and judgments. The rules, numbered 1 through 86, apply in every federal district, supplemented by each court's local rules.
Example: Under FRCP 26(a)(1), the parties must exchange initial disclosures within 14 days of their conference.
Usage notes
The rules took effect in 1938 under the Rules Enabling Act of 1934 and merged law and equity. Briefs use the Bluebook form "Fed. R. Civ. P." instead. Amendments in 2015 added proportionality to the scope of discovery. Many states have adopted versions of the federal rules for their own courts.
Related abbreviations
More litigation abbreviations
- ECF – Electronic Case Files
- ENE – Early neutral evaluation
- ER – Excerpts of record
- ESI – Electronically stored information
- EUO – Examination under oath
- FRAP – Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure
- FRE – Federal Rules of Evidence
- ICC – International Chamber of Commerce
- ICDR – International Centre for Dispute Resolution
- ICSID – International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
- IIED – Intentional infliction of emotional distress
- IME – Independent medical examination
See all 71 litigation abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.