Rule 51.Argument
Part VI. Trials · Last verified September 4, 2026
Full Text of Rule 51
Plain-English Summary
Rule 51 has two subsections and one of them is deleted. The civil rule's provisions on instructions to the jury are gone, which follows from the deletion of Rule 38 and the absence of a jury trial of right in these proceedings.
What remains is subsection (a). Counsel for each party shall be allowed thirty minutes for argument. That is a floor set by the rule rather than left to the courtroom.
The court may adjust it — on motion or on its own initiative — but the timing is fixed: before the argument commences. The adjustment must also be reasonable, in either direction; the rule says the court may "reasonably reduce or extend" the time.
Where two or more attorneys are to be heard for the same party, they may divide their time as they elect. The allowance belongs to the party, not to each lawyer, and how it is split is the party's choice rather than the court's.
Read the rule alongside Rule 43(g), which limits examination and cross-examination of any witness to one attorney per party — the trial rules here allocate by party throughout.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is closing argument?
Thirty minutes for counsel for each party, under Rule 51(a). Before the argument commences the court, on motion or on its own initiative, may reasonably reduce or extend the time.
Can the court cut argument short mid-way?
Rule 51(a) frames the adjustment as something done before the argument commences.
What if a party has two lawyers?
Rule 51(a) provides that when two or more attorneys are to be heard on behalf of the same party, they may divide their time as they elect.
Are there rules about jury instructions?
Not in this ruleset. Rule 51(b) is deleted, as are Rule 38 and Rules 47 through 50, so the civil rule's provisions on instructions to a jury have no counterpart here.