Jurisdiction, Venue, and Forum
Court Structure
Assignment may be random, by rotation, by subject matter division, or by geographic division. Some courts assign a single judge for all purposes while others separate pretrial and trial responsibility.
Related case rules may direct assignment.
Alternative Names:
Case Assignment|Judge Assignment
Why it Matters?
Related case rules can direct a new filing to the judge handling an earlier related matter, which affects both parties' expectations and is worth checking where prior litigation involved the same parties or transaction. Single-judge divisions in some districts produce predictable assignment that has drawn attention in patent and policy litigation. Recusal and disqualification standards apply where a judge has a disqualifying interest.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
What are related case rules?
Why check assignment structure?
