(a) EFFECT OF AMENDMENTS OR ADDITIONS TO FEDERAL RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE. Any amendments or additions to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure promulgated after February 1, 1971, will, on their effective date, take effect as amendments of or additions to the Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure unless the Board of Judges adopts a resolution modifying the federal rule amendments or additions in whole or in part. The resolution must be submitted to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals for approval.
Rule 83-I.Amendments of or Additions to Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure
Group XI: General Provisions · Last amended 2017 · Last verified July 14, 2026
In one sentenceRule 83-I explains how the Superior Court's civil rules get amended: federal rule changes take local effect automatically unless the Board of Judges modifies them with the District of Columbia Court of Appeals' approval, and the Board can also adopt entirely new local rules on its own, again subject to that same approval whenever a change modifies the Federal Rules.
Full Text of Rule 83-I
(b) INITIATION BY THE SUPERIOR COURT OF AMENDMENTS OR ADDITIONS. In addition, the Superior Court by action of the Board of Judges may, on its own initiative, adopt additional rules or amendments to existing Superior Court rules, provided that any additions or amendments that modify the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are submitted to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals for approval.
Comments
2017 Amendments:
Stylistic changes were made to this rule to conform with the 2007 amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Comment:
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 83(a), which addresses the promulgation, amendment, and enforcement of local rules by district courts, has been deleted. Substituted therefor is Rule 83-I which prescribes the rulemaking procedure for subsequent rules in accordance with D.C. Code § 11-946.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 83-I sets out two separate tracks for changing the Superior Court's civil rules. The first runs automatically: any amendment or addition to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure adopted after February 1, 1971 takes effect as a corresponding change to the Superior Court rules on its own effective date, without any local action needed. The Board of Judges can interrupt that automatic adoption, though, by passing a resolution that modifies the federal change in whole or in part — but that resolution itself has to go to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals for approval before it takes effect.
The second track lets the Superior Court originate rule changes on its own initiative. The Board of Judges can adopt entirely new rules or amend existing Superior Court rules without waiting on a federal change. The catch is the same one that applies to modifying a federal amendment: any local rule or amendment that modifies the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure still has to be submitted to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals for approval before it takes effect. Purely local rules that do not touch the substance of the federal rules can move forward without that extra layer of appellate approval.
Together, these two tracks explain why the Superior Court rules track the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure so closely in most respects while still preserving genuine local variations — the automatic-adoption default keeps the two rule sets in sync unless the Board of Judges deliberately steers away, and any deliberate departure from the federal template gets a check from the Court of Appeals before it becomes binding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure automatically become part of DC Superior Court practice?
Yes, as a default. Rule 83-I(a) provides that amendments or additions to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure promulgated after February 1, 1971 take effect as amendments to the Superior Court rules on their own effective date, unless the Board of Judges acts to modify them.
Can the Board of Judges block or change a federal rule amendment before it applies locally?
Yes, but not unilaterally. The Board of Judges can adopt a resolution modifying the federal amendment in whole or in part, but that resolution must be submitted to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals for approval.
Can the Superior Court create rules that have nothing to do with the federal rules?
Yes. Rule 83-I(b) lets the Board of Judges adopt additional rules or amendments on its own initiative. Only the ones that modify the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure need to go to the Court of Appeals for approval.
Does every change to the Superior Court civil rules need approval from the DC Court of Appeals?
No. Only changes that modify the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure require that approval. Purely local rules or amendments that do not modify the federal rules can be adopted by the Board of Judges without it.
What triggers District of Columbia Court of Appeals review under Rule 83-I?
Two situations trigger it: a Board of Judges resolution modifying a federal rule amendment before it takes local effect, and any Board-initiated rule or amendment that itself modifies the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Source & verification. Rule text and official Comments are
reproduced verbatim from the District of Columbia Superior Court Rules of Civil
Procedure, adopted by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Last verified July 14, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: how superior court rules get amended dcboard of judges rulemaking dc superior courtdc court of appeals approval of rule changeadopting new local civil rules dc