How should Rule 1 be construed?

• A. Strictly by the court alone
• B. By arbitrators
• C. By court and parties
• D. By state legislatures

Answer: (C)

Rule 1 sets the overall aim of the federal rules and directs that they be construed and administered to secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action. That purpose isn’t owned by the court alone; the parties also have to participate in a way that advances efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Courts interpret and apply the rules with that goal in mind, but the parties’ conduct—stating cases clearly, making reasonable concessions, agreeing to stipulations, and pursuing efficient discovery—also shapes how the rule is carried out. It isn’t the work of arbitrators or state legislatures to interpret federal procedural rules; arbitration operates outside the federal civil procedure framework, and state legislatures craft state rules, not the Federal Rules.