Each district court has rules on how to file lawsuits, and how to interact with the court. What follows are some excerpts from the rules for the District Court for the Northern District of California, plus a few rules from the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
LOCAL RULES ON HOW TO PREPARE YOUR COMPLAINT
Civil Local Rule 3-4(a): First Page Requirements. The first page of each paper presented for filing must set forth: (1) The name, address, telephone number, facsimile ("fax") telephone number and state bar number of counsel (or, if pro-se, the name, address, telephone number and fax telephone number of the party) presenting the paper for filing. This information must appear in the upper left hand corner and must indicate the party represented by name as well as that party's status in the litigation (i.e., plaintiff, defendant, etc.) In multiparty actions or proceeedings, reference may be made to the signature page for the complete list of parties represented. (3) Commencing on the eight line of the page (except where additional space is required for counsel identification) there must appear: (A) The title of this Court, including the appropriate division of location; (B) The title of the action; (C) The case number of the action followed by the initials of the assigned District Judge or Magistrate Judge, and, if applicable, the initials of the Magistrate Judge to whom the action is referred for discovery or other pretrial activity; (D) A title describing the paper; and (E) Any other matter required by Civil Local Rule 3. (5) Presentation of Class Action. If any complaint, counterclaim or cross-claim sought to be maintained as a class action, it must bear the legend "Class Action" on its first page below the title describing the paper as a complaint, counterclaim or cross-claim. Civil Local Rule 3-4(c): General Requirements. (1) Paper. Except for reporter transcripts, all papers presented for filing must be on top-centered, two-hole punched, 8-11/2 inch by 11 inch white opaque paper of original or recycled bond quality with numbered lines, and must be flat, unfolded (except where necessary for the presentation of exhibits), without back or cover, and firmly bound at the top. (2) Written Text. Text must appear on one side only and must be double-spaced with no more than 28 lines per page, except for the identification of counsel, title of the case, footnotes and quotations. Typewritten text may be no less than standard pica or 12-point type in the Courier font or equivalent, spaced 10 characters per horizontal inch. Printed text, produced on word processor or other computer, may be proportionally spaced, provided the type may not be smaller than 12-point standard font (e.g., Times New Roman). The text of footnotes and quotations must also conform to these font requirements. (3) Identification of Paper. Except for exhibits, each paper filed with the Court must bear a footer on the lower margin of each page stating the title of the paper (e.g., "Complaint", "Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment", etc.) or some clear and concise abbreviation. Once the Court assigns a case number to the action that case number must be included in the footer. Civil Local Rule 3-4(d): Citation to Authorities. Unless otherwise directed by the assigned Judge, citation to authorities in any paper must include: (1) In any citation to Acts of Congress, a parallel citation to the United States Code by title, section and date; (2) In any citation to U.S. regulations, a citation to the Code of Federal Regulations by title and section, and the date of promulgation of the regulation; (3) In any citation to a U.S. Supreme Court Case, a citation to the United States Reports, Lawyers' Edition or Supreme Court Reporter must be used. If the case is not yet available in any of these formats but is available on electronic databases, citation must indicate the database, year and any screen or page numbers, if assigned; (4) In any citation to other federal courts, unless an alternate reporting service is widely available, a citation to the Federal Reporter, Federal Supplement or Federal Rules Decision must be used. If the case is not yet available in any of these formats but is available on electronic databases, citation must indicate the database, year and any screen or page numbers, if assigned; (5) In any citation to a state court, citations must include either the official reports or any official reporting service (e.g., West Publishing). If the case is not yet available in those formats but is available on electronic databases, citation must indicate the database, year and any screen or page numbers, if assigned. Civil Local Rule 3-5: Jurisdictional Statement. (a) Jurisdiction. Each complaint, petition, counterclaim and cross-claim must include a separate paragraph entitled "Jurisdiction". THe paragraph will identify the statutory or other basis for federal jurisdiction and the facts supporting each jurisdiction. (b) Intradistrict Assignment. Each complaint or petition must include a paragraph entitled "Intradistrict Assignement". The paragraph must identify any basis for assignment to a particular location or division of the Court pursuant to Civil Local Rule 3-2(c). Civil Local Rule 3-6: Jury Demand. (a) Included in Pleading. A party may demand a jury trial as provided ini FRCivP 38(b). When a demand for jury trial is included in a pleading, the demand must be set forth at the end of the pleading. WHen the demand is made by a party who is represented by counsel, the pleading must be signed by the attorney for the party making the demand. In the caption of such pleading, immediately following the title of the pleading, the following must appear: "DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL". (b) Marking of Civil Cover Sheet Insufficient. Marking the civil cover sheet to indicate a demand for jury trial is not a sufficient demand to comply with this Local Rule.LOCAL RULES ON HOW TO FILE YOUR COMPLAINT
Civil Local Rule 3-2: Commencement and Assignment of Action. (a) Civil Cover Sheet. Every complaint, petition or other paper initiating a civil action must be filed with a completed civil cover sheet on a form approved by the Court. (b) Commencement of Action. An action may be commenced within the meaning of FRCivP 3 at any office of the Clerk for this district. After the matter has been assigned to a Judge, unless ordered or permitted otherwise, all subsequent filings must be made in the Office of the Clerk at the division or location where the assigned Judge maintains chambers. (c) Assignment to a Division. Pursuant to the Court's Assignment Plan, except for Intellectual Property Actions, Securities Class Actions and Capital and Noncapital Prisoner Petitions or Prisoner Civil Rights Actions, upon initial filing, all civil actions and proceedings for which this district is the proper venue shall be assigned by the Clerk to a Courthouse serving the county in which the action arises. A civil action arises in the county in which a substantial part of the events or omissions which give rise to the claim occurred or in which a substantial part of the property that is the subject of the action is situated. Actions in the excepted categories shall be assigned on a district-wide basis. Civil Local Rule 3-3(a): Assignment of Action to a Judge. Assignment. Immediately upon the filing of any civil action and its assignment to a division of the Court pursuant to Civil Local Rule 3-2, the Clerk shall assign it to a Judge pursuant to the Assignment Plan of the Court. The Clerk may not make or change any assignment, except as provided in these local rules or in the Assignment Plan (General Order No. 44). Civil Local Rule 3-8: Claim of Unconstitutionality. (a) Federal Statute. In any action in which the constitutionality of an Act of Congress is questioned and neither the United States nor any officer, agency or employee thereof is a party, counsel raising the question must file a notice of such claim with the assigned Judge (or, if no assignment has been made, the Chief Judge) and serve a copy of such notice on the United States Attorney for this district. The notice must identify the statute and describe the basis for the claim that is unconstitutional. The party must file the notice with a certificate of service pursuant to Civil Local Rule 5-6. [Note: this rule is for cases where your constitutionality argument is part of some other complaint, such as a Securities Class Action lawsuit.] Civil Local Rule 3-9. Parties. (a) Natural Person Appearing Pro Se. Any party representing him or herself without an attorney must appear personally and may not delegate that duty to any other person who is not a member of the bar of this Court. A person representing him or herself without an attorney is bound by the Federal Rules, as well as by all applicable local rules. Sanctions (including default or dismissal) may be imposed for failure to comply with local rules.FEDERAL RULES ON HOW TO PREPARE YOUR COMPLAINT
FRCP Rule 10. Form of Pleadings (a) Caption; Names of Parties. Every pleading shall contain a caption setting forth the name of the court, the title of the action, the file number, and a designation as in Rule 7(a). In the complaint the title of the action shall include the names of all the parties, but in other pleadings it is sufficient to state the name of the first party on each side with an appropriate indication of other parties. (b) Paragraphs; Separate Statements. All averments of claim or defense shall be made in numbered paragraphs, the contents of each of which shall be limited as far as practicable to a statement of a single set of circumstances; and a paragraph may be referred to by number in all succeeding pleadings. Each claim founded upon a separate transaction or occurrence and each defense other than denials shall be stated in a separate count or defense whenever a separation facilitates the clear presentation of the matters set forth. (c) Adoption by Reference; Exhibits. Statements in a pleading may be adopted by reference in a different part of the same pleading or in another pleading or in any motion. A copy of any written instrument which is an exhibit to a pleading is a part thereof for all purposes.