Voir dire
Voir dire: The process of questioning prospective jurors to select a jury. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 47(a), the court may let the parties or their lawyers examine prospective jurors or may examine them itself.
What voir dire means
In short, voir dire is a term you will meet in court papers, rules and legal research. The definition above gives its usual meaning in American civil practice. However, the exact meaning can depend on the rule, statute or court decision that uses it. So it helps to read the term in context.
Where voir dire comes up
For example, the term appears in these procedures:
- Jury Demand (Fed. R. Civ. P. 38(b)): a written demand for a jury trial on issues triable by a jury.
Read the source: Peremptory challenge.
How to research the term
Start with the primary source. For example, if voir dire appears in a federal rule, read the rule itself and its official notes. After that, check your court’s local rules and any standing orders from the judge. In addition, search recent decisions from your own state or federal district. They show how courts read voir dire in practice. Because state rules often differ, our state procedures guide links to each state’s official rules. Above all, make sure the version you read is still in force.
You can read the official rule text online for free.
Related legal terms
- Demand: an assertion of a right or a claim, calling on another person to do something.
- Jury: a group of citizens sworn to decide questions of fact and return a verdict.
- Trial by jury: the right to have a jury decide the facts.
- Jury trial: a trial in which a jury decides the facts and returns a verdict, while the judge decides questions of law.
- Peremptory challenge: a party's right to excuse a prospective juror without stating a reason. In federal civil cases, each party is entitled to three peremptory challenges under 28 U.S.C. § 1870. Peremptory challenges may not be used to exclude jurors because of race or sex.
Why precise terms matter
Legal words often look like everyday words, but they can carry a precise meaning. Because of that, a small misreading can change how you understand a deadline, a duty or a right. Our glossary keeps each definition short and links it to the procedures where it matters.
Sources
Sources last reviewed: 2026-10-24
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