UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT
OF LOUISIANA
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES FOR
ELECTRONIC CASE FILINGS AND
UNIQUE PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES
FOR ELECTRONIC FILINGS
March 2015
Table of Contents
I - Administrative Procedures Page
Rule 1 - Scope of Electronic Filing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Rule 2 - Eligibility, Registration, Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Rule 3 - Consequences of Electronic Filing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Rule 4 - Entry of Court-issued Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Rule 5 - Technical Failures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Rule 6 - Sealed Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Rule 7 - Retention Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Rule 8 - Signatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Rule 9 - Service of Documents by Electronic Means . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Rule 10 - Notice of Court Orders and Judgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Rule 11 - Public Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Rule 12 - Hyperlinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Rule 13 - Documents and Records to Be Filed in Paper Form . . . . . . . . . . . 6
II - Unique Procedures and Practices Page
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Other Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Proposed Orders and Judgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Motions Set for Submission/Hearing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Errors and Deficiencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Payment of Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Technical Failures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Public Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
ECF Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Help Desk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
A Step-by-Step Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
How to Access the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Logging In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Logging Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Filing Documents in ECF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Attachments and Exhibits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Non-Scanned Exhibits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Query/Docket Report/Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Search for Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Filing in Consolidated Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Exhibits
Exhibit A: Certificate of Service............................................................................15
Exhibit B: Notice of Manual Attachment (Single non-scanned attachment)........16
Exhibit C: Notice of Manual Attachment (Multiple non-scanned attachments)...17
I - ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
RULE 1 - SCOPE OF ELECTRONIC FILING
Except as expressly provided in these rules or as ordered by the United States District
Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (hereinafter “EDLA” or “the Court”), and in
accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Criminal
Procedure, and the Local Civil and Criminal Rules of the United States District Court for
the Eastern District of Louisiana (hereinafter “the Local Rules”), in the absence of
exceptional circumstances preventing a Filing User from filing electronically, all
pleadings and documents required to be filed with the Court in civil and criminal cases
must be electronically filed using the practices and procedures outlined herein and in the
EDLA’s Unique Procedures and Practices for Electronic Filings.
Failure to use electronic filing will be brought to the attention of the presiding judge
for appropriate action, which may include issuance of a show cause order and
sanctions against the Filing User, and a requirement by the Clerk of Court of the
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (hereinafter “the
Clerk”) that the pleadings or documents be returned to the Filing User for
electronic filing.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, an attorney may, for good cause shown, request by
written motion an exemption from mandatory electronic case filing. If the exemption
pertains to a specific case, the motion should be filed in that case. If the exemption
pertains to all cases before the Court, current and future, a motion must be filed with the
Clerk and will be submitted to the Chief Judge, and shall state the reason for the
attorney's inability to comply with mandatory electronic case filing.
RULE 2 - ELIGIBILITY, REGISTRATION, PASSWORD
Attorneys admitted to the bar of this Court, including those admitted pro hac vice and
attorneys authorized to represent the United States, must register as Filing Users of the
Court's Electronic Case Filing System (hereinafter “ECF”) concurrent with their
application for admission to this Court. Registration is in a form prescribed by the Clerk
and requires the Filing User's name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, and Bar
Roll number, if applicable.
Any active attorney admitted to the bar of this Court or admitted pro hac vice must
register as a Filing User of the Court’s ECF system within 30 days after notice by the
Court.
Failure to register as an ECF user as directed herein shall be brought to the
attention of the Court for appropriate action which may include issuance of a show
cause order, and sanctions against the Filing User, and a requirement by the Clerk
that the pleadings or documents be returned to the Filing User for electronic filing.
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Registration as a Filing User constitutes consent to electronic service of all documents as
provided in these rules in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the
Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and the Local Rules. Once registration is
completed, the Filing User will receive notification of the user log-in and password.
Filing Users agree to protect the security of their passwords and immediately notify the
Clerk if they learn that their password has been compromised. Filing Users may be
subject to sanctions for failure to comply with this provision.
Each attorney has a continuing obligation to notify the Court promptly of any changes in
address, telephone number, email, or other ECF account information. After registration
for ECF, attorneys are required to maintain their ECF accounts and to update the account
promptly with any changes.
RULE 3 - CONSEQUENCES OF ELECTRONIC FILING
Electronic transmission of a document to the Electronic Filing System consistent with
these rules, together with the transmission of a Notice of Electronic Filing from the
Court, constitutes filing of the document for all purposes of the Federal Rules of Civil
Procedure, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and the Local Rules, and constitutes
entry of the document on the docket kept by the Clerk.
When a document has been filed electronically, the official record is the electronic
recording of the document as stored by the Court, and the filing party is bound by the
document as filed. A document filed electronically is deemed filed on the date and at the
time stated on the Notice of Electronic Filing from the Court. Filing a document
electronically does not alter the filing deadline for that document. Filing must be
completed before midnight local time where the Court is located in order to be timely
filed on that day.
RULE 4 - ENTRY OF COURT-ISSUED DOCUMENTS
All orders, decrees, judgments, and proceedings of the Court will be filed in accordance
with these rules which will constitute entry on the docket kept by the Clerk under the
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. All signed
orders will be filed electronically by the Court or Court personnel. Any order or other
Court-issued document filed electronically without the original signature of a judge or
clerk has the same force and effect as if the judge or clerk had signed a paper copy of the
order and it had been entered on the docket in a conventional manner.
Orders without an attached document may be issued as "text-only" entries on the docket.
Such orders are official and binding.
The Court may sign, seal and issue a summons electronically, although a summons may
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not be served electronically.
Any document sent electronically by the Court will be deemed delivered if electronically
transmitted to the last known e-mail address provided by the Filing User in the Filing
User’s ECF registration.
RULE 5 - TECHNICAL FAILURES
A Filing User whose filing is made untimely as the result of a technical failure of the
Court’s ECF system or the Filing User’s electronic filing system may seek appropriate
relief from the Court, but such relief must be sought expeditiously.
The Court and Clerk of Court shall have no responsibility for the failure of the Filing
User’s electronic filing system and is under no obligation to resend any pleadings,
documents, orders, notices, judgments, or any other filings to a Filing User which were
not delivered due to technical failure of a Filing User’s electronic filing system.
It is the responsibility of the ECF Filing User to maintain a working current e-mail
account and to make any changes promptly to e-mail addresses.
The Clerk will not monitor “bounced-back” e-mails or e-mails which were not
electronically delivered.
RULE 6 - SEALED DOCUMENTS
Documents which the Court orders to be placed under seal must be filed conventionally.
A motion to file documents under seal and the order of the Court authorizing the filing of
documents under seal must be filed electronically unless the motion and/or order are also
to be kept under seal. If filed conventionally, a paper copy of the order authorizing
sealing must be attached to the documents under seal and delivered to the Clerk.
RULE 7 - RETENTION REQUIREMENTS
Electronically filed documents requiring original signatures other than that of the Filing
User must be maintained in paper form by the Filing User until one year after the
judgment becomes final or until 60 days after entry of a consent order dismissing the
case, unless extended by the Court. On request of the Court, the Filing User must provide
the original signed document for review.
RULE 8 - SIGNATURES
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The user log-in and password required to submit documents to the Electronic Filing
System serve as the Filing User's signature on all electronic documents filed with the
Court. They also serve as a signature for all purposes of the Federal Rules of Civil
Procedure, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, the Local Rules, and for any other
purpose for which a signature is required in connection with court proceedings.
Electronically filed documents must include a signature block and must set forth the
name, address, telephone number, email address, and the attorney's Bar Roll number, if
applicable.
In addition, the name of the Filing User under whose log-in and password the document
is submitted must be preceded by an "s/" and must be typed in the space where the
signature would otherwise appear or appear as a scanned image of the original signature.
No Filing User or other person may knowingly permit or cause a Filing User's password
to be used by anyone other than an authorized agent of the Filing User.
The filer of any document requiring more than one signature (e.g., pleadings filed by
visiting lawyers, stipulations, joint status reports) must list thereon all the names of other
signatories by means of a "s/ [Name of Signatory]" for each. By submitting such a
document, the Filing User certifies that each of the other signatories has expressly agreed
to the form and substance of the document and that the Filing User has the actual
authority of each other signatory to submit the document electronically. Any signatory to
a document filed by a Filing User must file any challenge to the authenticity of his or her
consent within fourteen days of the document’s filing.
RULE 9 - SERVICE OF DOCUMENTS BY ELECTRONIC MEANS
The “Notice of Electronic Filing” that is automatically generated by the Court’s
Electronic Filing System, except as provided below, constitutes service of the filed
document on Filing Users. Parties who are not Filing Users must be served by other
means with a copy of any pleading or other document filed electronically in accordance
with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and
the Local Rules.
By filing electronically, the Filing User is certifying that service was accomplished
through the Notice of Electronic Filing on Filing Users and that service was
accomplished on any party or counsel who is not a Filing User by other means in
accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Criminal
Procedure, and the Local Rules.
Sealed filings do not produce a Notice of Electronic Filing, and, therefore, service by the
filer of any sealed document must be accomplished by other means in accordance with
the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and the
Local Rules.
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RULE 10 - NOTICE OF COURT ORDERS AND JUDGMENTS
Immediately upon the entry of an order or judgment, the Clerk will electronically
transmit a Notice of Electronic Filing to all Filing Users enrolled in the case. Electronic
transmission of the Notice of Electronic Filing constitutes the notice required by the
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and the Local
Rules. The Clerk shall give notice in paper form in accordance with the Federal Rules of
Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and the Local Rules, to any
counsel of record who has received an exemption from electronic filing and to any
unrepresented party.
RULE 11 - PUBLIC ACCESS
In compliance with the policy of the Judicial Conference of the United States, and the E-
Government Act of 2002, in accordance with Fed.R.Civ.P. 5.2 and Fed.R.Crim.P. 49.1,
and in order to promote electronic access to case files while also protecting personal
privacy and other legitimate interests, parties shall refrain from including, or shall
partially redact where inclusion is necessary, the following personal data identifiers from
all pleadings filed with the Court, including exhibits thereto, whether filed electronically
or in paper, unless otherwise ordered by the Court.
a. Social Security numbers. If an individual’s Social Security number must be included
in a pleading, only the last four digits of that number should be used.
b. Names of minor children. If the involvement of a minor child must be mentioned,
only the initials of that child should be used.
c. Dates of birth. If an individual’s date of birth must be included in a pleading, only the
year should be used.
d. Financial account numbers. If financial account numbers are relevant, only the last
four digits of these numbers should be used.
e. Home Addresses of defendants, victims or witnesses in a criminal case should not be
included.
In compliance with the E-Government Act of 2002, a party wishing to file a document
containing the personal data identifiers listed above may:
a. file an unredacted version of the document under seal, or
b. file a reference list under seal.
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The reference list shall contain the complete personal data identifier(s) and the redacted
identifier(s) used in its(their) place in the filing. All references in the case to the redacted
identifiers included in the reference list will be construed to refer to the corresponding
complete personal data identifier. The reference list must be filed under seal, and may be
amended as of right.
The unredacted version of the document or the reference list shall be retained by the
Court as part of the record. The Court, however, may still require the party to file a
redacted copy for the public file.
The responsibility for redacting these personal identifiers rests solely with counsel and
the parties. The Clerk will not review each pleading for compliance with this rule.
RULE 12 - HYPERLINKS
Electronically filed documents may contain the following types of hyperlinks:
(A) Hyperlinks to other portions of the same document; and
(B) Hyperlinks to a location on the Internet which contains a source document
for a citation.
Hyperlinks to cited authority may not replace standard citation format. Complete
citations must be included in the text of the filed document. Neither a hyperlink, nor any
site to which it refers, shall be considered part of the record.
The Court accepts no responsibility for, and does not endorse, any product,
organization, or content at any hyperlinked site, or at any site to which that site
may be linked. The Court accepts no responsibility for the availability or
functionality of any hyperlink.
RULE 13 - DOCUMENTS AND RECORDS TO BE FILED IN PAPER FORM
The following documents must be filed in paper form by conventional means and will be
scanned for the electronic record by Clerk's Office personnel:
1. All handwritten pleadings;
2. All pleadings and documents filed by unrepresented parties including individuals
who are incarcerated;
3. Cases filed under seal and all documents filed in sealed cases;
4. .Motions to file documents under seal and accompanying order, if the motion and
order is also to be kept under seal, and documents filed under seal;
5. Criminal Case opening documents such as Complaints, Indictments or Bills of
Information;
6. Affidavits for search and arrest warrants and related papers;
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7. . ederal Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 20 and 40 papers received from
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another court;
8. .Any pleading or document in a criminal case containing the signature of a
defendant, such as a waiver of indictment, factual basis, or plea agreement;
9. Petitions for violations of supervised release.
The following documents shall be maintained on paper only and shall not be filed
electronically:
• The state court record and other Rule 5 materials in habeas corpus cases filed in
28 U.S.C. § 2254 proceedings.
II - UNIQUE PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES
All documents submitted for filing in civil and criminal cases, except those documents
specifically exempted, shall be filed electronically using the Electronic Case Filing System
(ECF).
Documents filed must be in PDF format. The optimal method for creating a PDF
document for filing in CM/ECF is to create it directly from a word processing program such as
Word, WordPerfect or Adobe Acrobat. PDF files created in this way have many benefits: they
allow chambers to easily annotate and adjust proposed orders and other submissions as needed,
they are much smaller in size than documents that have been scanned and they are text-
searchable. The Court recommends and prefers this method of creating a PDF file from a word
processing application. A scanner should be a last resort for creating PDF files and should
ONLY be used for documents that you cannot produce with your word processor.
The official court record shall be the electronic file maintained on the Court's servers
together with any paper attachments and exhibits filed in accordance with these procedures.
All documents filed by electronic means must comply with technical standards, if any,
established by the Judicial Conference of the United States or by this Court.
All attorneys who have registered on the ECF system will receive a notification of
electronic filing (NEF) for all filings.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
• A personal computer running a standard platform such as Windows or Macintosh.
• Internet service.
• A web browser like Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox. The Safari web browser on a
Macintosh does not work well with ECF.
• A PDF viewer, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• A Word processing software like WordPerfect or Word.
• A pdf conversion software, such as Adobe Acrobat Standard, to help create a PDF
document directly from word processing software. The court would prefer that
documents be converted to PDF directly from a word processing program rather than
scanning. Do not use software which places advertisements or website links onto PDF
documents.
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• A scanner to image documents when they exist ONLY in paper form. This should be
used as a last resort for documents that cannot be produced from a word processing
program. Paper documents should be scanned at a resolution of 300 dpi.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
• A PACER account which allows viewing case docket sheets and case documents beyond
any first free looks for which notice is received. To obtain a PACER account, visit the
PACER Service Center's website at www.pacer.gov.
• An ECF account for Louisiana Eastern District which allows electronically filing of case
documents with this Court. An ECF account will be issued upon the Court's receipt of an
E-filing Registration Form (see REGISTRATION below).
REGISTRATION
A Registration Form may be obtained at the Eastern District of Louisiana's website
located at www.laed.uscourts.gov/Forms/efile-reg.pdf. Registered attorneys can electronically
submit documents for filing and view and retrieve electronic documents. If the attorney is
already admitted to practice before this Court, this form should be emailed to
[email protected]; otherwise, counsel should attach this form to the petition
for admission to practice.
PROPOSED ORDERS AND JUDGMENTS
When filing an ex parte motion, use the Motion event in ECF. When filing the motion,
the Filing User will be given a prompt asking if the motion is Exparte/Consent, to which the
response is "y"(yes). One or more attachments to the main PDF document will be necessary.
The proposed order for the Judge's signature must be a separate attachment. Proposed
orders should not be emailed to the Court unless otherwise directed. Once a ruling has been
made, Court personnel will docket the order and notice the appropriate parties.
MOTIONS SET FOR SUBMISSION/HEARING
Prior to electronically submitting a motion, the Court's website should be consulted at
www.laed.uscourts.gov to obtain available motion dates for the appropriate judicial officer.
When filing the motion, a prompt will appear asking if the motion is Exparte/Consent, to which
the response is "n"(no). Filing of civil motions set for submission will subsequently prompt the
Filing User to enter the applicable date. Filing of criminal motions set for hearing will
subsequently prompt the Filing User to enter the applicable date and time and select the proper
judicial officer.
ERRORS AND DEFICIENCIES
There are two categories of problems which may occur with e-filing of documents: errors
and deficiencies.
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Examples of errors are:
• Document filed in the wrong case
• Incorrect filer selected
• Wrong event selected
Examples of deficiencies are:
• Two or more documents filed as one
• Illegible Document
• Leave of court is required to file this document
Errors can be remedied by the Clerk's Office and all parties will be noticed regarding the
modification by way of a "CORRECTION OF DOCKET ENTRY BY CLERK." The Clerk's
Office will notify all parties that a document filed is deemed deficient by way of a "NOTICE OF
DEFICIENT DOCUMENT." A deficient document must be corrected and re-filed in its entirety
within seven (7) calendar days; otherwise, it may be stricken by the Court without further
notice.
The ECF system does not permit changes to a misfiled document or incorrect docket
entry after the transaction has been accepted. For quality control purposes, the Clerk's Office
may modify the selections made by attorneys to reflect accurately the information contained
within the filings.
PAYMENT OF FEES
All fees payable to the Clerk of Court shall be made by check, money order, cash or
credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or Diners Club). Payment of the
filing fee for a new complaint or Notice of Removal should be made online at the time of the
electronic filing. Failure to do so will result in a delay of the case being processed and assigned
a Judge and Magistrate Judge.
TECHNICAL FAILURES
The initial point of contact for any Filing User experiencing technical difficulty
electronically filing a document shall be the Court's ECF Help Desk at 504-589-7788 or toll free
at 1-866-209-7767.
PUBLIC ACCESS
The public may review at the Clerk's Office all filings that have not been sealed in any
electronically maintained case file. The public may also view documents through the Court's
website (www.laed.uscourts.gov) by obtaining a PACER log-in and password. Pursuant to
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2, remote access to documents may be restricted.
ECF TRAINING
ECF Tutorials are available on the Court's website at www.laed.uscourts.gov/Tutorial/ecf2d/.
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HELP DESK
The Help Desk phone numbers are 504-589-7788 or toll free at 1-866-209-7767.
A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
Below is a step-by-step guide for accessing the system, preparing a document for filing,
filing a motion or application, and displaying a docket sheet. The Filing User should
periodically review the Court's website at www.laed.uscourts.gov.cmecf for new events or
changes to existing events.
HOW TO ACCESS THE SYSTEM
The ECF System is accessible via the Internet at ecf.laed.uscourts.gov or through the
Court's website at www.laed.uscourts.gov by selecting "CMECF" and then selecting "Login to
CM/ECF here."
LOGGING IN
Enter the ECF Login and Password in the appropriate data entry fields. All ECF login
names and passwords are case sensitive. The ECF login is used for filing court documents. The
PACER login is used to view court records (see Other Requirements on page 8 of this
document).
Note: Use the ECF login and password if entering the system to file a pleading or to maintain
account options. For case information or to view a document, enter the PACER login
and password. If the ECF system does not recognize the login and password, it will
display the following error message on a new screen:
Your ECF or PACER login attempt failed. Either your login name or password is
incorrect.
Click on the [Back] button in the browser and re-enter the correct login and password.
The entry of a valid login ID/password combination prompts the system to display the
Blue Main Menu Bar.
LOGGING OUT
After completing all of the transactions for a particular session in ECF, logout from the
system by clicking on "Logout" from the ECF Blue Main Menu Bar. ECF will return to the ECF
login screen. DO NOT click "X" in the upper right hand corner or File and Close. ECF will exit
if idle for more than 30 minutes.
FILING DOCUMENTS IN ECF
After logging in, the following basic steps are required to e-file a document:
• Select the case type from the Blue Main Menu Bar at the top of the screen (Civil or
Criminal).
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• Select the type of document to be filed (e.g. motion, etc.).
• Enter the case number in which the document is to be filed.
• Select the defendant (in criminal filings only).
• Select the parties for whom the pleading or document is being filed.
• Select the PDF document to be filed. The court would prefer that documents be
converted to PDF directly from a word processing program rather than created by
scanning.
• Add attachments, if any, to the document being filed.
• Modify docket text as necessary.
• Submit the document to ECF.
• Mail paper copies of pleadings to any attorneys or unrepresented parties who do not
receive electronic notices.
ATTACHMENTS AND EXHIBITS
A Filing User shall submit, in electronic format, all documents referenced as exhibits or
attachments to filings, unless otherwise ordered by the Court. Each referenced exhibit must be
properly identified.
A Filing User must submit as attachments and non-trial exhibits ONLY those excerpts of
the referenced documents that are directly germane to the matter under consideration by the
Court. Excerpted material must be clearly and prominently identified as such. Filing Users who
file excerpts of documents do so without prejudice to their right to file timely additional excerpts
or the complete document, as the Court may allow. Responding parties may timely file
additional excerpts or the complete document.
Filing Users must not attach as an exhibit any pleading or other paper already on file with
the Court, but shall merely refer to that document.
Attachments and exhibits must be filed according to the following guidelines:
IF THE ATTACHMENT OR EXHIBIT IS THEN IT SHOULD BE
A word processing document of any length Divided into approximately 200 page
converted to PDF attachments (10 Mb or less) and filed using
ECF
A scanned document Divided into separate attachment files of
approximately 50 scanned pages (10 Mb or
less) and filed using ECF
Non-scanned exhibits (e.g. videotapes, Filed in paper form with the Clerk's Office
photographs, color documents, etc.) and a substitute "Notice of Manual
Attachment" filed using ECF (see EXHIBITS
B & C attached hereto)
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Note: A PDF document filed via the ECF system shall not exceed 10Mb in size. Following the
attachment and exhibit guidelines above should assure that each PDF document is below
the maximum file size. However, paper documents scanned at high resolution may
exceed the 10Mb limit even if kept within the page limitation outlined in the guidelines.
A scanning resolution of 300 dpi is recommended to maintain acceptable file size limits.
NON-SCANNED EXHIBITS
All attachments and exhibits that are referenced in a document and are filed with the
Clerk's Office (e.g., video tapes, pre-trial hearing exhibits, large documents, etc.) must have a
notice of their filing recorded in ECF.
The Filing User must create a descriptive PDF document that contains the name and a
description of the attachment/exhibit. A sample Notice of Manual Attachment is attached (see
EXHIBIT B attached hereto). File the referenced document as an attachment to the main
document and select the category "Notice of Manual Attachment." If there are multiple non-
scanned exhibits, include them all in a single descriptive PDF document (see EXHIBIT C
attached hereto). When delivering the non-scanned exhibit(s) to the Clerk's Office, attach a copy
of the Notice of Manual Attachment.
QUERY/DOCKET REPORT/SHEET
A Docket Report or Docket Sheet can be accessed from the ECF Blue Main Menu Bar
"QUERY" feature as well as the "REPORTS" feature. The Filing User's PACER account will be
charged for viewing docket reports.
QUERY: Query the ECF database by the name of a party or an attorney or case number.
Choose specific case information from a list of query options by clicking on the appropriate
hyperlink. Some available options are:
• Attorney: Displays information on the attorneys and parties they represent in this action.
• Deadlines/Hearings: Allows viewing of hearings and other scheduled deadlines with a
link to the document that created the deadline.
• Docket Report: Choose from options to display the entire docket report or portions of
this report by using selection criteria to include parties and counsel, documents by a date
range, document number range, and terminated parties. Hyperlinks to the actual PDF
document (by document number) can be viewed.
• History/Documents: Choose from options to display all events OR only events with
documents attached.
REPORTS: Available reports are:
• Docket Sheet: Same as Docket Report above.
• Civil Cases Report: Civil cases filed within a specific date range, or by Nature of Suit &
Cause Code.
• Criminal Cases Report: Criminal cases filed within a specific date range, or by Case
flags.
• Judgment Index: Court ordered judgments for a specific case, party name, or date range.
• Docket Activity Report: Docketed events with various selection criteria.
• Written Opinions: Court Orders which are written opinions can be searched for using a
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specific case, party name, date range, as well as other various selection criteria. There is
no billing charge for this report.
UTILITIES
The UTILITIES feature from the ECF Blue Main Menu Bar provides the means for a
Filing User to maintain their accounts in ECF, view all of their ECF transactions and access
mailing information for cases.
MAINTAIN YOUR E-MAIL: This allows Filing Users to modify their email addresses, add
additional email addresses to be notified, and determine the format of the ECF notices. Options
include receiving a notice for each filing, or a Daily Summary Report.
MAINTAIN YOUR LOGIN/PASSWORD: This allows modifications of the ECF password;
however once registered, the login should not be changed.
CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS: The Filing User will be directed to the Court's Change of
Address information page containing a hyperlink to a specific court email address for changes to
U.S. mailing addresses and telephone numbers. Changes to email addresses should be made by
using the feature "Maintain Your E-Mail" noted above.
MAINTAIN YOUR ACCOUNT: This screen displays all of the registration information that is
contained within the ECF database for the Filing User's account with the Court. This feature
allows the Filing User to modify the email address, add additional email addresses to be notified,
and determine the format of the ECF notices. The Filing User can choose to receive a notice for
each filing, or a Daily Summary Report. This feature also allows changes to the ECF password.
Changes to the U.S. mailing address and telephone number must be made by using the feature
"Change Your Address."
VIEW YOUR TRANSACTION LOG: ECF displays a report of all of the Filing User's
transactions in ECF within a specified date range. Filing Users should periodically review their
transactions to verify that all of the transactions entered are reflected in the Transaction Log and
that no unauthorized individual has entered transactions into ECF using the Filing User's login
and password.
CHANGE CLIENT CODE: For PACER users, this feature allows entry of a new client code,
used for reporting charges made to the current PACER account.
CHANGE YOUR PACER LOGIN: This feature displays the login screen to allow entry of a
different PACER account. The new account can be designated as the default PACER login by
checking the box next to "Make this my default PACER login."
REVIEW BILLING HISTORY: For PACER users, the number of CM/ECF pages accessed and
charges incurred for the current PACER account being used can be displayed. If the client code
feature is utilized in ECF, the charges are totaled for each code.
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SHOW PACER ACCOUNT: For PACER users, the current PACER login and client code
being used is displayed.
REMOVE DEFAULT: This allows attorneys to remove the default association between the
current PACER login and the ECF filer login.
MISCELLANEOUS:
• Legal Research: Contains hyperlinks to a Law Dictionary, a Medical Dictionary,
Westlaw and Lexis Nexis via the Internet.
• Mailings: Provides access to mailing information for specific cases (e.g., users registered
for electronic notification and parties who do not receive electronic notification).
• Internet Payment History Option: Displays payments made via the Internet for a
specified date range and includes the docket event, case number, fee amount, and receipt
number.
• Verify a Document: Used to verify that a previously filed document has not been
modified since its original submission.
• Links to Other Courts' PACER: Contains hyperlinks to access an individual PACER or
CMECF site.
• PACER Case Locator (National Index): Allows searching for newly filed cases through
a PACER national index for U.S. district, bankruptcy and appellate courts .
SEARCH FOR EVENTS
The SEARCH feature from the ECF Blue Main Menu Bar provides the means to assist
Filing Users in finding the appropriate event. When selected, a pop-up window appears to enter
text to search. Results are displayed on the screen as hyperlinks to the corresponding event for
immediate access. The Filing User should periodically review the Court's website for new
events or changes to existing events.
FILING IN CONSOLIDATED CASES
All pleadings filed in a consolidated proceeding shall bear the caption of the lead
consolidated case together with the docket number of all cases within the consolidation to which
the document applies or the notation "ALL CASES" if it applies to all cases. The Clerk shall
establish a master file and a master docket sheet for the consolidated group of cases.
All entries shall be filed in the MASTER or LEAD case only. When filing a document in
the MASTER case, the ECF system will prompt the Filing User to enter the case number(s) to
which this document applies. ECF will not allow Filing Users to file a document in a member
case.
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
SAMPLE FORMAT
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that on (Date) , I electronically filed the foregoing with the Clerk
of Court by using the CM/ECF system which will send a notice of electronic filing to the following:
(List Names of persons electronically noticed) . I further
certify that I mailed the foregoing document and the notice of electronic filing by first-class mail to
the following non-CM/ECF participants: (List names of persons noticed by first class mail) .
s/ Attorney’s Name
Attorney’s Name
Attorney’s Bar Roll Number
Attorney for (Plaintiff/Defendant)
Law Firm Name
Law Firm Address
Telephone Number
Fax Number
Attorney’s E-Mail Address
EXHIBIT A
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
ELI SMITH CIVIL ACTION
VERSUS NO: 05-2832
PEYTON JONES SECTION: "R"(4)
NOTICE OF MANUAL ATTACHMENT
EXHIBIT B TO MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION
Exhibit B is videotape recording on file with the Clerk's Office.
EXHIBIT B
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
ELI SMITH CIVIL ACTION
VERSUS NO: 05-2832
PEYTON JONES SECTION: "R"(4)
NOTICE OF MANUAL ATTACHMENT
EXHIBITS B, C, F & H TO MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION
Exhibit B is a videotape recording on file with the Clerk's Office.
Exhibit C is a 250 page contract on file with the Clerk's Office.
Exhibit F is a color photograph on file with the Clerk's Office.
Exhibit H is a color brochure on file with the Clerk's Office.
EXHIBIT C
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