An ongoing compilation of information that federal judges have found useful for immediate bench or chambers reference in civil and criminal proceedings. The Benchbook contains sections on such topics as assignment of counsel, taking guilty pleas, standard voir dire questions, sentencing, and contempt. It is prepared under the guidance of experienced district judges and is produced in loose-leaf format for easy supplementation. The fifth edition, published September 2007, includes new entries for the Crime Victims' Rights Act and preliminary injunctions, a revised grand jury charge, and updated plea and sentencing colloquies following United States v. Booker.

Superseded by Benchbook for U.S. District Court Judges, Sixth Edition (2013).