TO THE BENCH, BAR, AND PUBLIC:

Proposed Rules Amendments

      The Judicial Conference Advisory Committees on the Appellate, Bankruptcy, Civil, and Criminal Rules have proposed amendments to the federal rules and requested that the proposals be circulated to the bench, bar, and public for comment. The proposed amendments are posted on the Internet at http://www.uscourts.gov/rules/.

      Please provide any comments and suggestions on the proposed amendments (substantive or stylistic) whether favorable, adverse, or otherwise as soon as possible. The comment deadline is February 15, 2001. Please send all correspondence to: Secretary of the Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure, Administrative Office of the United States Courts, Washington, D.C. 20544. Comments may be sent electronically via the Internet to http://www.uscourts.gov/rules/.

The Advisory Committees will hold public hearings on the proposed substantive and stylistic amendments on the following dates:

January 24, 2001       New Orleans, Louisiana       Criminal Rules
January 26, 2001       Washington, D.C.                 Bankruptcy Rules
January 29, 2001       San Francisco, California      Appellate, Civil, and Criminal Rules
February 12, 2001     Washington, D.C.                Criminal Rules

      After the public comment period, the Advisory Committees will decide whether to submit the proposed amendments to the Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure. At present, the Standing Committee has not approved these proposed amendments, except to authorize their publication for comment. The proposed amendments have not been submitted to nor considered by the Judicial Conference or the Supreme Court.

Anthony J. Scirica                  
Chair                               

Peter G. McCabe
Secretary