IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA

IN RE: :

:

PROCESS FOR AMENDING : STANDING ORDER NO. 00-2

LOCAL RULES :

ORDER

NOW, THIS ______ DAY OF _______, 2000, the Board of Judges having decided at its May 19, 2000 meeting to adopt a process for amending local rules, IT IS ORDERED that the amendment of the Local Rules shall occur, except in extraordinary circumstances and upon concurrence of a majority of the members of the Board of Judges, pursuant to the following annual process and timetable, so as to result in an effective date of amendments to the local rules of December 1:

• Any person or organization proposing an amendment to the Local Rules shall submit the proposal to the Chair of the Local Rules Committee (Rules Committee).



• A proposal for a change to become effective on December 1 of a year shall be submitted to the Chair of the Rules Committee before December 31 of the preceding year.

Phase I

• The first meeting of the Rules Committee to consider proposals for amending the local rules will be held in January. The Committee will determine the proposed amendments to place into further consideration and will, as to those proposed amendments, assign drafting responsibility.



• The first draft of a proposed amendment recommended by the Rules Committee for Board of Judges consideration will be circulated to all District Court Judges and Magistrate Judges for comment by February 15. New or amended text will be redlined and deleted text will be stricken. An explanation regarding the nature of and reason for the proposed change will be included with each rule.



• Judges may submit comments or proposed revisions to the Committee's draft by March 15th.



• The Committee will forward a final draft of a proposed amendment to the Board of Judges by April 15.

  The Board of Judges will decide whether to approve a proposed amendment for Phase II consideration on or before the date of the Board of Judges spring meeting, and the Chief Judge will so inform the Chair of the Rules Committee.

Phase II

• Amendments tentatively approved by the Board of Judges will be distributed to the Lawyers Advisory Committee for comment by May 15.



• The Board of Judges will make its final (pre-publication) decision to amend a rule or rules by June 30.



• Following approval by the Board of Judges, the proposed amendments to the local rules shall be published in a local legal publication, made available to the public at each courthouse in the District, and posted on the District's internet web site. Comments from the public shall be due not later than August 15.



• A written summary of the public comments and the final draft of proposed amended rules will be circulated to the Board of Judges by September 1. A vote on final approval by the Board of Judges will occur by September 15.



• The complete set of Local Rules, as revised, shall be distributed by November 15, with an effective date for amendments of December 1. Copies of rules and amendments shall, upon their promulgation, be furnished to the Judicial Council of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and made available to the public.

THOMAS I. VANASKIE, Chief Judge                                                                 WILLIAM J. NEALON, District Judge

SYLVIA H. RAMBO, District Judge                                                                     MALCOLM MUIR, District Judge

JAMES F. McCLURE, JR., District Judge                                                                 RICHARD P. CONABOY, District Judge

A. RICHARD CAPUTO, District Judge                                                                 WILLIAM W. CALDWELL, District Judge

JAMES M. MUNLEY, District Judge                                                                 EDWIN M. KOSIK, District Judge

YVETTE KANE, District Judge

DATED: , 2000