Rule 1. Scope and Purpose
These rules govern the procedure in all civil actions and proceedings in the United States district courts, except as stated in Rule 81. They should be construed, administered, and employed by the court and the parties to secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action and proceeding.
Rule 2. One Form of Action
There is one form of action —
the civil action.
Rule 8. General Rules of Pleading
(a)
Claim for Relief. A pleading that states a claim for relief must
contain:
(1) a short and plain statement of the grounds for the
court’s jurisdiction, unless the court already has jurisdiction
and the claim needs no new jurisdictional support;
(2) a short and
plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to
relief; and
(3) a demand for the relief sought, which may include
relief in the alternative or different types of relief.
Rule
10. Form of Pleadings
(a) Caption; Names of Parties. Every
pleading must have a caption with the court’s name, a title, a
file number, and a Rule 7(a) designation. The title of the complaint
must name all the parties; the title of other pleadings, after naming
the first party on each side, may refer generally to other
parties.
(b) Paragraphs; Separate Statements. A party must state
its claims or defenses in numbered paragraphs, each limited as far as
practicable to a single set of circumstances. A later pleading may
refer by number to a paragraph in an earlier pleading. If doing so
would promote clarity, each claim founded on a separate transaction
or occurrence — and each defense other than a denial —
must be stated in a separate count or defense.