Discovery and evidence
Request for Production
A request for production is a written demand that another party hand over specified documents, electronic files, or things for inspection.
This is where most of the evidence in a modern case comes from: emails, chat messages, contracts, financial records, and metadata. Responses are due in thirty days, and objections must be stated specifically rather than as a boilerplate list.
Electronic discovery is a negotiation of its own. Parties argue about custodians, date ranges, search terms, and production format long before any document changes hands, and those agreements often become a court order.
Production format matters more than people expect. Documents produced as flat images without text or metadata are far harder to search than native files, so agreements about format are worth as much as agreements about scope.
How it appears on a docket
ORDER granting in part 57 Motion to Compel: defendant shall produce responsive documents for four additional custodians using the agreed search terms by 7/15/2026.
Governing rule
Fed. R. Civ. P. 34
Related terms
- Interrogatories — Interrogatories are written questions one party sends another, which must be answered in writing and under oath.
- Privilege Log — A privilege log is the list a party must produce describing documents it is withholding as privileged, without revealing their contents.
More on discovery and evidence
See this term in a real case
Search federal court records and read the filings where request for production actually shows up. New to federal dockets? Start with how to find a federal case.