I.O.P. Introduction: Introduction

A. Objectives.

These "Internal Operating Procedures" (I.O.P.S) cover the essential processes of this court from the distribution of the briefs to the final termination of the appeal and are designed:

(1) To insure that appeals are processed as expeditiously as possible consistent with the careful discharge of appellate responsibilities;

(2) To insure decisional stability and avoid intra-circuit conflict of decisions by providing a means for the panel system to operate efficiently and at the same time provide that a holding of a precedential opinion of the court may not be overruled without the approval of a majority of the en banc court;

(3) To insure the opportunity for contributions by every active judge to every decision of precedential or institutional significance; and

(4) To maintain the highest degree of collegiality among the judges.

B. Implementation.

These I.O.P.S implement:

(1) Statutory mandates;

(2) The Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure;

(3) The Third Circuit Local Appellate Rules (L.A.R.); and

(4) The customs and traditions of this court.

C. Citation Form.

These rules may be known as the Third Circuit Internal Operating Procedures and cited as 3d Cir. I.O.P. __._ (2018).

D. Computing Time.

Unless otherwise specified, days means calendar days. Counting time for voting on circulating opinions and rehearing petitions begins the day after the opinion or petition is circulated. Opinions and orders may be filed after close of business on the last day for voting. In addition to the procedure for extending time to vote set forth in Chapter 9, the time for voting may be extended by consent of the court to accommodate periods when large numbers of opinions are being circulated.