Rule 79 — Records Kept by the Clerk

Fed. R. Civ. P. 79

• Source: Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
• Rule: 79
• TITLE X: DISTRICT COURTS AND CLERKS: CONDUCTING
• Citation: Fed. R. Civ. P. 79

Text

(a) CIVILDOCKET.
(1) In General. The clerk must keep a record known as the
‘‘civil docket’’ in the form and manner prescribed by the Di-
rector of the Administrative Office of the United States

Courts with the approval of the Judicial Conference of the
United States. The clerk must enter each civil action in the
docket. Actions must be assigned consecutive file numbers,
which must be noted in the docket where the first entry of the
action is made.
(2) Items to be Entered. The following items must be marked
with the file number and entered chronologically in the dock-
et:
(A) papers filed with the clerk;
(B) process issued, and proofs of service or other returns
showing execution; and
(C) appearances, orders, verdicts, and judgments.
(3) Contents of Entries; Jury Trial Demanded. Each entry must
briefly show the nature of the paper filed or writ issued, the
substance of each proof of service or other return, and the sub-
stance and date of entry of each order and judgment. When a
jury trial has been properly demanded or ordered, the clerk
must enter the word ‘‘jury’’ in the docket.
(b) CIVIL JUDGMENTS AND ORDERS. The clerk must keep a copy
of every final judgment and appealable order; of every order af-
fecting title to or a lien on real or personal property; and of any
other order that the court directs to be kept. The clerk must keep
these in the form and manner prescribed by the Director of the
Administrative Office of the United States Courts with the ap-
proval of the Judicial Conference of the United States.
(c) INDEXES; CALENDARS. Under the court’s direction, the clerk
must:
(1) keep indexes of the docket and of the judgments and or-
ders described in Rule 79(b); and
(2) prepare calendars of all actions ready for trial, distin-
guishing jury trials from nonjury trials.
(d) OTHER RECORDS. The clerk must keep any other records re-
quired by the Director of the Administrative Office of the United
States Courts with the approval of the Judicial Conference of the
United States.

Advisory Committee Notes

(As amended Dec. 27, 1946, eff. Mar. 19, 1948; Dec. 29, 1948, eff. Oct. 20, 1949; Jan. 21, 1963, eff. July 1, 1963; Apr. 30, 2007, eff. Dec. 1, 2007.)