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Form Finder: Jury Instructions

Introduction

Many state and federal circuits have their own pattern jury instructions. It is necessary to consult pattern instructions first. Model jury instructions needed to complement pattern instructions may be found in encyclopedic sets of instructions, in titles on individual subjects, and litigation practice treatises. What follows are many of the most-often consulted titles in our library for federal jury instructions and Illinois jury instructions.

Federal Circuit Court Jury Instructions (Pattern and Model)

The law library has civil and/or criminal jury instructions for the First, Third, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits. Depending upon the circuit, the instructions are referred to as either pattern or model instructions. These instructions can be found on reserve in the law library.

Westlaw provides online access to civil jury instructions for the Third, Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits, as well as criminal jury instructions for the First, Third, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits.

Lexis provides access to the same circuit jury instructions as Westlaw. 

Court websites also often provide pattern jury instructions (for more about the U.S. Court of Appeals).

Federal Encyclopedic Sets of Instructions

Federal Jury Practice and Instructions. KF8984.D496 – 10th Floor. One of the two encyclopedic sets of federal instructions. Five volumes cover both civil and criminal instructions.

Modern Federal Jury InstructionsKF9682.A65 M64  10th Floor. Two unnumbered volumes of pattern instructions.

Federal Topic-Specific Jury Instructions

Jury Instructions in Automobile Actions.  

Jury Instructions in Commercial LitigationKF8984.E15 2002 – 10th Floor

Jury Instructions on Damages in Tort ActionsKF8984.D68 – 10th Floor

Jury Instructions in Intellectual Property CasesKF8984.A65 B87 – 10th Floor

Jury Instructions on Medical IssuesKF8984.A65 AL26x – 10th Floor  

Jury Instructions in Real Estate LitigationKF8984.D672 – 10th Floor  

Model Jury Instructions: Business Torts LitigationKF8984.A65 M64 – 10th Floor

Model Jury Instructions: Copyright, Trademark, and Trade Dress Litigation. KF8984.M63 – 10th Floor

Model Jury Instructions: Employment LitigationKF8984.A65 E57 – 10th Floor

Model Jury Instructions: Construction Litigation.  

Model Jury Instructions: Patent LitigationKF3155.M63 – 10th Floor

Model Jury Instructions: Securities LitigationKF 8984 .S42 – 10th Floor

Illinois Pattern Instructions

Illinois Non-Pattern Instructions

Illinois Forms of Jury InstructionKFI1742.6.I44 – 6th Floor (Reserve). The three-volume set includes both pattern and non-pattern civil jury instructions. Coverage includes civil actions, torts, contracts, and statutory actions.  

Illinois Non-Pattern Jury InstructionsKFI1742.6.R69 – 6th Floor (Reserve). This two-volume set provides IPI instructions with annotations and non-pattern instructions for those subjects not covered by Illinois Pattern Instructions. Includes both civil and criminal instructions.