Federal Judicial Center International Litigation Guide

Today’s investigation of transnational criminal matters, and prosecution or defense of civil cases increasingly involves the gathering of evidence located in foreign jurisdictions.  However, national sovereignty prevents U.S. prosecutors and litigators from doing so without prior judicial approval and assistance.  This first-of-its-kind guide, which the Federal Judicial Center per its statutory mission distributed to all federal judges across the country, discusses how civil and criminal litigants can obtain such litigation or investigation-related evidence and assistance from foreign jurisdictions.