A step-by-step guide to drafting a federal court complaint and preparing the other case-initiating documents according to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP). Specifically, this Practice Note explains how to draft the caption, demand a jury trial, structure the body of the complaint, and comply with federal pleading standards (including pleading standards under the Supreme Court's Twombly and Iqbal decisions, pleading facts based on information and belief, and pleading foreign law and special matters with particularity). This Note also explains how to prepare the other case-initiating documents, including the summons, Rule 7.1 disclosure statement, notice of appearance, and civil cover sheet.