Guides
Jury duty guides
What happens after a summons arrives, from the questionnaire to the verdict. Each guide lists its sources, and we flag where state rules differ from federal ones.
Getting started
Got a jury summons? What to do, step by step
Check it's real, figure out which court sent it, answer the questionnaire, deal with work, and know how to ask for a new date.
Read the guide →Federal vs. state jury duty: what's the difference?
How to tell which court summoned you, and how pay, exemptions, length of service, and employer rules differ between federal and state jury duty.
Read the guide →The juror qualification questionnaire, explained
What the jury questionnaire asks, why courts need it, how to answer it honestly, and what happens after you submit it.
Read the guide →How jurors are chosen: from the jury wheel to the jury box
Why you got a summons and your neighbor didn't. How courts build juror lists, draw names at random, qualify jurors and pick a trial jury.
Read the guide →Jury duty glossary: legal terms jurors hear, in plain English
Plain-English definitions of the terms you'll hear during jury service, from voir dire and peremptory challenge to preponderance of the evidence and hung jury.
Read the guide →Postpone or excuse
How to postpone jury duty
When you can ask for a new date, how courts usually handle deferral requests, and how to write one that's easy to approve.
Read the guide →Who is exempt from jury duty?
Qualifications, exemptions, and excuses in federal court, and how state rules differ. Why age, occupation, and recent service matter.
Read the guide →Jury duty for parents and caregivers: excuses, postponements and what to say
When caring for a young child or a sick or elderly relative can excuse or postpone jury service, what federal and state rules say, and how to make the request.
Read the guide →Jury duty with a disability: accommodations, excuses and how to ask
A disability doesn't automatically disqualify you from jury service. What federal and state courts provide, how to request accommodations, and when an excuse makes sense.
Read the guide →Jury duty for college students: postponing around classes and exams
Students aren't exempt from jury duty, but courts often postpone them around the semester. Which court can summon you, how to ask, and what to say about residency.
Read the guide →Jury duty for seniors: age excuses, health and how to respond
There's no automatic age cutoff for jury duty, but many courts excuse older adults on request. How the federal over-70 excuse works and what to do with your summons.
Read the guide →Problems
Missed your jury summons? What to do now
What can happen if you miss jury duty, the federal penalties in 28 U.S.C. § 1866(g), and why calling the court quickly matters.
Read the guide →Jury duty scams: how to spot and report them
Scammers threaten fines or arrest for 'missed jury duty' and ask for payment or personal data. How real courts contact you, and where to report fakes.
Read the guide →Work and pay
Jury duty and your job: your rights and your employer's
Can you be fired for jury duty? What 28 U.S.C. § 1875 says for federal jurors, how state protections work, and whether you'll be paid.
Read the guide →Jury duty when you're self-employed, a freelancer or a gig worker
What courts pay, when lost income counts as a hardship, how to ask for a postponement that fits your business, and how juror pay is taxed when no employer covers you.
Read the guide →How juror pay works: daily fees, mileage and employer pay
What federal and state courts pay jurors, when payment starts, how travel reimbursement works, and how juror fees interact with your paycheck.
Read the guide →Is jury duty pay taxable? How to report juror fees
Juror fees are taxable income. Where to report them on your federal return, how the deduction works when you hand fees to your employer, and what records to keep.
Read the guide →At the courthouse
What happens at jury selection (voir dire)
From the jury assembly room to the courtroom: how voir dire works, what challenges are, and why being sent home isn't a judgment on you.
Read the guide →Grand jury vs. trial jury: what's the difference?
Petit (trial) juries decide cases. Grand juries decide whether there's probable cause to charge someone. How size, secrecy, schedule, and pay differ.
Read the guide →What to bring to jury duty (and what to leave home)
A practical checklist for your reporting day: summons, ID, something to read, a plan for childcare and parking, and what courthouse security may not allow.
Read the guide →How long does jury duty last?
One day, one trial, or a term of months? How federal and state courts define jury service, and how to plan when you don't know.
Read the guide →The stages of a jury trial, explained for jurors
What happens from opening statements to verdict: the eight stages of a trial, objections, jury instructions and what jurors do at each step.
Read the guide →Rules for jurors during a trial: no research, no posting, no talking
Why jurors can't look things up, post online or discuss the case, what to do if someone approaches you, and what happens if a juror breaks the rules.
Read the guide →Jury deliberations: what to expect in the jury room
How deliberations work: choosing a foreperson, unanimity, asking the judge questions, handling disagreement and returning a verdict.
Read the guide →After jury service: talking about the case, pay and coping
What happens once the jury is discharged: whether you can discuss the case, dealing with the media, getting paid, proof for your employer, and handling stress.
Read the guide →Criminal vs. civil jury trials: what changes for jurors
How criminal and civil trials differ for jurors: burden of proof, jury size, unanimity, peremptory challenges, sentencing and damages.
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