# Federal Rules of Civil Procedure — Deadline Reference

This reference contains the key FRCP rules relevant to computing litigation deadlines in federal court. Use this when the user specifies a federal jurisdiction.

**Important**: These rules reflect federal law as of early 2026. The skill's verification step should confirm these remain current.

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## Table of Contents

1. [Rule 6 — Computing Time](#rule-6)
2. [Rule 26 — Disclosure and Discovery Framework](#rule-26)
3. [Rule 33 — Interrogatories](#rule-33)
4. [Rule 34 — Requests for Production](#rule-34)
5. [Rule 36 — Requests for Admission](#rule-36)
6. [Rule 30 — Depositions](#rule-30)
7. [Rule 56 — Summary Judgment](#rule-56)
8. [Expert Witness Deadlines](#expert-deadlines)
9. [Federal Holidays](#holidays)

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## Rule 6 — Computing Time {#rule-6}

### Core Counting Method (Rule 6(a)(1))
- **Exclude the trigger day**.
- **Count every day**, including intermediate Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays.
- **If the last day is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday**: the period continues to run until the end of the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.

### Key Difference from Colorado
The federal rules count ALL days for ALL time periods. There is no "less than 11 days" exclusion of weekends like in Colorado.

### Service Method Adjustments (Rule 6(d))
- **Electronic service**: Add **3 days** to the response period.
- **Mail service**: Add **3 days** to the response period.
- Note: The 3-day addition for e-service is a difference from Colorado, where e-service adds 0 days.

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## Rule 26 — Disclosure and Discovery Framework {#rule-26}

### Initial Disclosures (Rule 26(a)(1))
- Due within **14 days** after the Rule 26(f) conference (unless a different time is set by stipulation or court order).

### Rule 26(f) Conference
- Must occur at least **21 days** before a scheduling conference or scheduling order deadline.

### Discovery Cutoff
- Set by the court's scheduling order under Rule 16(b). No default rule; the scheduling order controls.

### Expert Witness Disclosures (Rule 26(a)(2))
- Due at least **90 days** before trial (or the date the case is to be ready for trial).
- **Rebuttal expert disclosures**: Due within **30 days** after the other party's expert disclosure.

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## Rule 33 — Interrogatories {#rule-33}

- **Response deadline**: **30 days** after service.
- **Presumptive limit**: 25 interrogatories (including subparts) per party.

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## Rule 34 — Requests for Production {#rule-34}

- **Response deadline**: **30 days** after service.
- No presumptive numerical limit (but subject to proportionality under Rule 26(b)(1)).

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## Rule 36 — Requests for Admission {#rule-36}

- **Response deadline**: **30 days** after service.
- **Critical consequence**: Failure to respond means matters are deemed admitted.

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## Rule 30 — Depositions {#rule-30}

- **Notice requirement**: Reasonable written notice to every party.
- **Duration limit**: 1 day of 7 hours per deponent.
- **Presumptive limit**: 10 depositions per side.

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## Rule 56 — Summary Judgment {#rule-56}

- May be filed at any time until **30 days after close of all discovery** (unless local rules or the scheduling order set a different deadline).
- **Response deadline**: Set by local rules (commonly 21-28 days).
- **Reply deadline**: Set by local rules (commonly 14 days).
- Note: Always check the scheduling order and local rules for the specific court.

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## Expert Witness Deadlines {#expert-deadlines}

| Deadline | Default Timing | Rule |
|----------|---------------|------|
| Expert disclosure | 90 days before trial | Rule 26(a)(2)(D) |
| Rebuttal expert disclosure | 30 days after opposing expert disclosure | Rule 26(a)(2)(D) |

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## Federal Holidays {#holidays}

For deadline computation under FRCP Rule 6(a):

- January 1 — New Year's Day
- Third Monday in January — Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.
- Third Monday in February — Washington's Birthday (Presidents' Day)
- Last Monday in May — Memorial Day
- June 19 — Juneteenth National Independence Day
- July 4 — Independence Day
- First Monday in September — Labor Day
- Second Monday in October — Columbus Day
- November 11 — Veterans Day
- Fourth Thursday in November — Thanksgiving Day
- December 25 — Christmas Day

Note: When a holiday falls on Saturday, it is observed on Friday. When it falls on Sunday, it is observed on Monday. Juneteenth was added as a federal holiday in 2021.
