What a Complaint Is
Rule 8 requires three things: jurisdiction, a short plain statement of the claim, and a demand for relief. There is a federal form built for people filing alone.
What it does
A complaint is the opening filing in a civil case. It tells the court who's suing whom, why the court has authority to hear it, what happened, and what you're asking the court to do.
What the rule requires
Rule 8(a) says a pleading stating a claim for relief must contain three things: a short and plain statement of the grounds for the court's jurisdiction; a short and plain statement of the claim showing the pleader is entitled to relief; and a demand for the relief sought. Rule 8(d) adds that each allegation must be simple, concise, and direct, and that no technical form is required.
There's a form for this
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts publishes Form Pro Se 7, "Complaint for Employment Discrimination," designed for people filing without a lawyer. It walks through the parties, the basis for jurisdiction, which statutes are involved, the conduct alleged, the protected characteristic, the administrative steps already taken including the Notice of Right to Sue, and the relief requested. Districts vary in whether they require, accept, or merely suggest it — local rules govern.
Where the charge comes back in
Federal courts generally require that a claim have been raised in the EEOC charge, or be reasonably related to what was raised, before it can be brought in the lawsuit. This is called exhaustion. In practical terms the charge narrative sets the outer boundary of the complaint, and whether a particular claim falls inside that boundary is a legal question — one of the more common reasons employment complaints get challenged early.
What signing it means
Rule 11 provides that by signing and filing, you certify that the filing isn't being presented for an improper purpose, that the legal contentions are warranted, and that the factual contentions have evidentiary support or are likely to after further investigation. Courts may impose sanctions for violations. This applies to anyone who signs, represented or not.
Sources
Fed. R. Civ. P. 8, 11; AO Form Pro Se 7.
Red flags to watch for
- A claim in the complaint that never appeared in the EEOC charge
- A complaint with no demand for relief
- Filing without reading the district's local rules on the pro se form
Next up
Naming the Right Defendant
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Start AI screeningSources: EEOC.gov, EEOC Field Manual, and federal employment statutes. Informational only — not legal advice.