The Federal Jury Instruction Resource Page highlights the key role of jury instructions on evidence issues.
Quick Navigation Links:
- Overview (Complete Overview: Separate Page)
- Federal Civil and Criminal Jury Instructions (By Circuit)
- Subject-Area Jury Instructions (Trademark, Securities Law, Criminal Tax, and more)
- Labor and Employment Law Jury Instructions
- Patent Jury Instructions
- Jury Instruction Quick Links [Pending]
- Jury Instruction / Evidence Blog Posts (from the Federal Evidence Blog)
Overview
Importance Of Proper Limiting Instructions In Admitting Evidence
Jury instructions serve an important role on evidence issues. Through jury instructions, the trial court informs and guides the jury on how particular evidence may be considered. See, e.g., FRE 105 (“When evidence which is admissible as to one party or for one purpose but not admissible as to another party or for another purpose is admitted, the court, upon request, shall restrict the evidence to its proper scope and instruct the jury accordingly.”). Several case examples underscore the key function of jury instructions on evidence matters. [Read More]
Model Federal Civil and Criminal Jury Instructions
Many of the model or pattern federal civil and criminal jury instructions for trial courts in each circuit are available in the table below. If you are aware of any model federal jury instructions that are not included in the table below, please contact the Federal Evidence Review.
| Circuit | Instructions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First Circuit | Criminal Jury Instructions
| 2010 Revisions to the Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions for the District Courts Of the First Circuit, Prepared by U.S. District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby, of the District of Maine |
| First Circuit | Civil Jury Instructions
|
2010 Revisions to the Pattern Civil Jury Instructions for the District Courts Of the First Circuit, Prepared by U.S. District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby, of the District of Maine (2002 drafts; Updated in 2010) |
| Third Circuit | Criminal Jury Instructions | Prepared by the Committee On Model Criminal Civil Jury Instructions Within the Third Circuit (2009 version; drafting started in 2004) |
| Third Circuit | Civil Jury Instructions | Prepared by the Committee On Model Criminal Civil Jury Instructions Within the Third Circuit (2009 version; drafting started in 2004) |
| Fifth Circuit | Criminal Jury Instructions | Prepared by the Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions, District Judges Association, Fifth Circuit (Update of 1997 version) |
| Fifth Circuit | Civil Jury Instructions | Prepared by the Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions, District Judges Association, Fifth Circuit |
| Sixth Circuit | Criminal Jury Instructions | Prepared by the Committee on Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions, District Judges Association, Sixth Circuit No drafted pattern civil jury instructions |
| Seventh Circuit | Criminal Jury Instructions | Prepared by the Committee on Federal Criminal Jury Instructions for the Seventh Circuit |
| Seventh Circuit | Civil Jury Instructions | Prepared by the Committee on Pattern Civil Jury Instructions of the Seventh Circuit |
| Eighth Circuit | Criminal Jury Instructions | Prepared by the Judicial Committee on Model Jury Instructions for the Eighth Circuit 2010 Draft Revisions |
| Eighth Circuit | Civil Jury Instructions | Prepared by Judicial Committee on Model Jury Instructions for the Eighth Circuit 2010 Draft Revisions |
| Ninth Circuit | Criminal Jury Instructions | Prepared by the Ninth Circuit Jury Instructions Committee
|
| Ninth Circuit | Civil Jury Instructions
| Prepared by the Ninth Circuit Jury Instructions Committee |
| Tenth Circuit | Criminal Jury Instructions
| Prepared by the Criminal Pattern Jury Instruction Committee of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit No civil instructions developed |
| Eleventh Circuit | Criminal Jury Instructions
| Prepared by the Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions of the Judicial Council of the Eleventh Circuit (Updating and extending the 2003 edition) |
| Eleventh Circuit | Civil Jury Instructions
| Prepared by the Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions of the Judicial Council of the Eleventh Circuit |
Subject-Area Jury Instructions
If you are aware of any model federal jury instructions that are not included in the subject-area table below, please contact the Federal Evidence Review.
| Instructions | Drafter / Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Trademark
| Seventh Circuit Pattern Jury Instruction Committee and Trademark Subcommittee (Seventh Circuit Intellectual Property Model Jury Instructions Project) | ||
Securities Law
| North American Securities Administrators Association | ||
| Criminal Tax | United States Department of Justice | ||
Excessive Force Cases
| 2010 Revisions to the Pattern Civil Jury Instructions for the District Courts of the First Circuit, Prepared by U.S. District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby, of the District of Maine (2002 drafts; Updated in 2010) | ||
Juror Use Of Electronic Communication Technologies
| United States Judicial Conference Committee on Court Administration and Case Management Blog Post: Model Jury Instruction Recommended To Deter Juror Use Of Electronic Communication Technologies During Trial | ||
| Criminal | Report of the Subcommittee on Pattern Jury Instructions, Committee on the Operation of the Jury System, Judicial Conference of the United States (1987 Federal Judicial Center publication) | ||
Model Labor and Employment Law Jury Instructions | |||
| Labor and Employment Law | Prepared by the Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions, District Judges Association, Fifth Circuit | ||
Employment Discrimination
| 2010 Revisions to the Pattern Civil Jury Instructions for the District Courts of the First Circuit, Prepared by U.S. District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby, of the District of Maine (2002 drafts; Updated in 2010) | ||
Railroad Employee Personal Injury
| 2010 Revisions to the Pattern Civil Jury Instructions for the District Courts of the First Circuit, Prepared by U.S. District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby, of the District of Maine (2002 drafts; Updated in 2010) | ||
Maritime Employee Personal Injury
| 2010 Revisions to the Pattern Civil Jury Instructions for the District Courts Of the First Circuit, Prepared by U.S. District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby, of the District of Maine (2002 drafts; Updated in 2010) | ||
Model Patent Jury Instructions | |||
| Model Patent Jury Instructions (2010) |
Federal Bar Association
| ||
| Model Patent Jury Instructions (2009) | The National Jury Instruction Project | ||
| Model Patent Jury Instructions for the Northern District of California (Nov. 2007) | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California | ||
| Guide to Model Patent Jury Instructions (1998) | American Intellectual Property Law Association | ||
| Uniform Jury Instructions of Patent Cases in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (1993) | U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware | ||
Jury Instruction Quick Links
[Pending]
As a reference aid, these links will be provided in the future to help highlight key rules of evidence associated which specific model or suggested instructions.
Jury Instruction / Evidence Blog Posts
Blog posts from the Federal Evidence Blog addressing aspects of the Federal Rules of Evidence that involve federal jury instructions are available here.