BY ORDER OF THE
SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE
AIR FORCE INSTRUCTION 51-301
2 OCTOBER 2018
Law
CIVIL LITIGATION
COMPLIANCE WITH THIS PUBLICATION IS MANDATORY
ACCESSIBILITY: Publications and forms are available for downloading or ordering on the
e-Publishing website at www.e-Publishing.af.mil.
RELEASABILITY: There are no releasability restrictions on this publication.
OPR: AFLOA/JAC
Supersedes: AFI 51-301, 20 June 2002
Certified by: AFLOA/JAC
(Colonel Amy L. Momber)
Pages: 78
Provide guidance to Judge Advocates, Commanders and other Air Force personnel, as well as
contractors and the public on civil litigation and civil court matters involving the Air Force or Air
Force personnel.
This Air Force Instruction (AFI) implements Headquarters Air Force Mission Directive (HAF
MD) 1-14, General Counsel and The Judge Advocate General (29 Dec 2016), and Air Force Policy
Directive (AFPD) 51-3, Civil Litigation, by providing guidelines on matters in civil litigation
involving the Air Force or Air Force personnel before courts and administrative bodies and in other
legal proceedings. This publication does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law against the United States, DoD, or the Air Force. This publication applies to
all Air Force personnel, including Air Force civilian employees, service members, and contractors
as well as organizations in the Regular Air Force (RegAF), Air National Guard (ANG) in federal,
not state status, Air Force Reserve (AFR) and Civil Air Patrol (CAP) units when operating as an
auxiliary of the Air Force. This publication requires the collection and maintenance of information
protected by the Privacy Act of 1974 authorized by Sec. 552(a). The applicable System of Records
Notices, F051 AF JA H—Litigation Records (Except Patents) and F051 AFJA D—Patent
Infringement and Litigation Records, are available at
http://dpcld.defense.gov/Privacy/SORNs.aspx. The reporting requirements in this instruction
are exempt from licensing in accordance with AFI 33-324, The Air Force Information Collections
and Reports Management Program. Ensure that all records created as a result of processes
prescribed in this publication are maintained in accordance with Air Force Manual 33-363,
Management of Records, and disposed of in accordance with the Air Force Records Disposition
