Table of Contents

• The Federal Judicial Center produced this Benchbook for U.S. District Court Judges in furtherance of its mission to develop and conduct education programs for the judicial branch. This Benchbook is not a statement of official Federal Judicial Center policy. Rather it was prepared by and it represents the considered views of the Center’s Benchbook Committee a group of experienced district judges appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States in his capacity as chair of the Center’s Board. The committee was assisted by Federal Judicial Center staff.