Litigant Beware: Ignore The Duty To Reconstruct The Record Under Rule 10(C) At Your Peril

In Roberts v. Ferman, 826 F.3d 117 (3d Cir. 2016), the Third Circuit sought to clarify the circumstances in which a party forfeits arguments made in a post-trial motion by refusing to agree to reconstruct the record under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 10(c). That rule provides:

"If the transcript of a hearing or trial is unavailable, the appellant may prepare a statement of the evidence or proceedings from the best available means, including the appellant's recollection. The statement must be served on the appellee, who may serve objections or proposed amendments within 14 days after being served. The statement and any objections or proposed amendments must then be submitted to the district court for settlement and approval. As settled and approved, the statement must be included by the district clerk in the record on appeal." Fed. R. Civ. P. 10(c)