> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.courtrules.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Get Rules

> Returns every rule that applies to a judge, from the court-wide layer down to the judge's own standing orders

Returns the rules that apply to one judge. The response shape depends on the court:

* **Courts with compliance profiles (`edny` today):** the hierarchical rule set used by [`/check`](/api-reference/check), organized as FRCP, local rules, and standing order. Optionally filtered by `document_scope` and `motion_type`.
* **Every other court:** the court-wide rules plus the judge's own rules, each with the judge's quoted source text and structured fields. See [Courts without compliance profiles](#courts-without-compliance-profiles).

<ParamField query="judge_slug" type="string" required>
  Judge slug from [`/judges`](/api-reference/judges) (e.g. `gary-r-brown`,
  `judge-teresa-a-beaudet`). Use `court` for a court's court-wide rules only.
</ParamField>

<ParamField query="district_id" type="string" required>
  Court identifier (e.g. `edny`, `ca-los-angeles-superior`)
</ParamField>

<ParamField query="document_scope" type="string">
  Filter rules relevant to this document type. See [Document
  Structure](/concepts/document-structure) for values. Courts with compliance profiles only; other
  courts return `400`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField query="motion_type" type="string">
  Filter rules relevant to this motion type (e.g. `Rule_56`, `discovery`, `Rule_12`). Courts with
  compliance profiles only; other courts return `400`.
</ParamField>

<RequestExample>
  ```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
  curl 'https://api.courtrules.app/api/v1/rules?judge_slug=gary-r-brown&district_id=edny&document_scope=brief_support&motion_type=Rule_56' \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
  ```
</RequestExample>

<ResponseExample>
  ```json theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
  {
    "judge": {
      "slug": "gary-r-brown",
      "name": "Gary R. Brown"
    },
    "rules": {
      "frcp": [
        {
          "rule_key": "FormatConstraint:caption",
          "citation": "FRCP 10(a)",
          "label": "Federal Rules of Civil Procedure",
          "summary": "Every pleading must include a caption with court name, case title, docket number, and document designation.",
          "severity": "CRITICAL"
        },
        {
          "rule_key": "DocumentRequirement:sj_no_genuine_dispute",
          "citation": "FRCP 56(a)",
          "label": "Federal Rules of Civil Procedure",
          "summary": "SJ motion must identify each claim/defense and show no genuine dispute of material fact.",
          "severity": "CRITICAL",
          "applies_to": ["Rule_56"]
        }
      ],
      "local_rules": [
        {
          "rule_key": "PageWordLimitRule:memo_support",
          "citation": "LR 7.1(c)",
          "label": "EDNY Local Civil Rule",
          "summary": "Support/opposition briefs: 8,750 words max. Reply briefs: 3,500 words max.",
          "severity": "CRITICAL",
          "applies_to": ["brief_support", "brief_opposition", "brief_reply"]
        }
      ],
      "standing_order": [
        {
          "category": "PAGE_LIMIT",
          "summary": "Brief Support limited to 20 pages",
          "source": "Brown SO §2.B"
        },
        {
          "category": "COURTESY_COPY",
          "summary": "Courtesy copy always required",
          "source": "Brown SO §1"
        },
        {
          "category": "PMC",
          "summary": "Pre-motion conference required. Letter <= 3pp.",
          "source": "Brown SO §3.A"
        },
        {
          "category": "BUNDLING",
          "summary": "Do NOT file until motion is fully briefed",
          "source": "Brown SO §3.B"
        }
      ]
    },
    "meta": {
      "total_rules": 25
    }
  }
  ```
</ResponseExample>

## Response fields

<ResponseField name="judge" type="object">
  Judge identification
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="rules" type="object">
  Hierarchical rule set organized by source

  <Expandable title="Rules object">
    <ResponseField name="frcp" type="array">
      Federal Rules of Civil Procedure applicable to this context
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="local_rules" type="array">
      District local rules applicable to this context
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="standing_order" type="array">
      Judge-specific standing order rules
    </ResponseField>
  </Expandable>
</ResponseField>

## Filtering behavior

When `document_scope` and/or `motion_type` are provided, rules are filtered to show only those relevant to the specified context. Rules with no `applies_to` field are always included (they apply universally).

## Courts without compliance profiles

For every court other than `edny`, the response carries two layers:

* **`rules.court`:** court-wide rules that apply in every courtroom (local rules, general orders, court-wide filing requirements).
* **`rules.judge`:** the judge's own rules (standing orders, individual practices, courtroom rules).

Each rule has the same shape as a rule from [`/extracted-rules`](/api-reference/extracted-rules): a plain-English summary, the judge's quoted source text, structured fields keyed by `logic_type`, a page or section citation, and the official source URL.

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
curl 'https://api.courtrules.app/api/v1/rules?district_id=ca-los-angeles-superior&judge_slug=judge-teresa-a-beaudet' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
```

```json theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
{
  "judge": {
    "slug": "judge-teresa-a-beaudet",
    "name": "Judge Teresa A. Beaudet",
    "status": "active"
  },
  "district_id": "ca-los-angeles-superior",
  "rules": {
    "court": [/* 188 court-wide rules */],
    "judge": [
      {
        "rule_id": "0135e5a3-4c3d-4feb-bc55-5bb44aa36981",
        "district_id": "ca-los-angeles-superior",
        "judge_slug": "judge-teresa-a-beaudet",
        "source_url": "https://www.lacourt.ca.gov/web3/courthouse/api/courthouses/courtroom-information/courthouse/LAM/courtrooms/508/documents",
        "logic_type": "CourtesyCopyRule",
        "workflow_phase": "FILING",
        "content": {
          "summary": "Courtesy conformed copies of filings with points and authorities or exceeding 15 pages must be lodged in Dept. 508 on the filing date (next business day if efiled on a holiday or weekend).",
          "source_text": "Courtesy conformed copies of any filings with a points and authorities or that exceed 15 pages must be lodged in Dept. 508 on the date of filing or, if the filing is efiled on a holiday or weekend, on the next business day.",
          "structured_data": {
            "logic_type": "CourtesyCopyRule",
            "trigger": { "type": "page_threshold", "value": 15, "operator": ">" },
            "requirement": {
              "delivery_method": "chambers_drop_off",
              "delivery_timing": "upon_filing"
            }
          },
          "citation_source": { "page": 3 }
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  "meta": {
    "total_rules": 253,
    "court_rules": 188,
    "judge_rules": 65
  }
}
```

**`judge.status`:** `active` or `coming_soon` for judges on the current roster. `inactive` or `retired` means the judge has left the roster: `rules.judge` comes back empty, and `rules.court` still lists the court-wide rules.

**Response size:** the court-wide layer is returned in full, which can be over a thousand rules in a large court. To page or filter by rule type, use [`/extracted-rules`](/api-reference/extracted-rules) with `judge_slug` and `logic_type`.

## Errors

| Status | Meaning |
| - | - |
| `400` | Missing parameters, or `document_scope` / `motion_type` sent for a court without compliance profiles |
| `404` | The court or the judge is not known. List valid slugs with [`/judges`](/api-reference/judges). |


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