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WHAT GOVERNS STATE DISTRICT COURT CIVIL PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE SECTION 1.2

§ 1.1 OVERVIEW

Minnesota state district court civil practice is governed by a myriad of rules, case law, and statutes. This chap-
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ter, of course, does not provide a complete analysis of every rule, case, or statute which governs state district court
practice and procedure—the following chapters will cover the details. Rather, Chapter 1 introduces the “rules of the
game,” why they exist, and where to find them. Chapter 1 also offers charts summarizing the rules affecting civil
litigation practice and helpful online resources for litigators.

§ 1.2 THE RULES

A. Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure

In 1947, almost 10 years after the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were adopted, the Minnesota Legislature
enacted Minnesota Statutes section 480.052, authorizing the Minnesota Supreme Court to adopt similar rules. The
court appointed an advisory committee to draft the rules and the Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure were adopted
in 1951. Minn. R. Civ. P. 1.

1. Scope of Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure

Both Minnesota Statutes and the Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure state that the rules “regulate
the pleadings, practice, procedure, and the forms thereof in civil actions in all courts of this state….” Minn. Stat.
§ 480.051; Minn. R. Civ. P. 1. More accurately though, the Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure outline the steps for
bringing and managing a civil lawsuit, and guide attorneys (and judges) in what participants can and cannot do in a
civil lawsuit.

In doing so, the rules make clear that “[t]hey shall be construed and administered to secure the just,
speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action.” Minn. R. Civ. P. 1. The rules further make it the responsibil-
ity of the court and parties to ensure that the process and costs of every civil action are “proportionate to the amount
in controversy and the complexity and importance of the issues.” Id.

B. Minnesota General Rules of Practice

From 1951, the Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure governed state district court civil practice—along with
a number of other rules. By the late 1980s, at least 14 different sets of rules emerged to further define civil practice
in Minnesota including:

• Code of Rules for the District Courts;

• Rules for Uniform Decorum in the District Courts;

• Minnesota Civil Trialbook;

• Rules for the Conciliation Courts;

local rules for each of the 10 judicial districts;
• Family Court Rules; and

1-1 Updated 2020