3. Multi-District Litigation
U.S. District Court of Maryland Local Rules (December 1, 2025)
electronically under this paragraph, any deadline for filing a response will be calculated from
the date the document is electronically docketed by the Clerk’s Office.
2. Prisoner Civil Rights Actions
a) Forms
All self-represented civil rights actions brought by inmates of penal institutions shall be
filed on forms approved from time to time by order of the Court. Petitions to proceed in
forma pauperis shall likewise be filed on forms approved from time to time by the Court.
The Court may authorize penal institutions to produce, stock, or distribute such approved
forms.
b) Filing and Service
All communications shall be directed to and filed with the Clerk. At the time of filing
the complaint, self-represented prisoners must provide the Clerk’s Office with a service copy
of the complaint as to each defendant.
c) Service
i) As to all defendants represented by counsel, all court documents—other than the
original complaint—filed by self-represented prisoners in civil rights actions are deemed
“filed electronically” for L.R. 102.1.c purposes at the time the documents are electronically
docketed by the Clerk’s Office. For any response to a document filed electronically under
this paragraph, any deadline for filing a response will be calculated from the date the
document is electronically docketed by the Clerk’s Office.
ii) As to all defendants not represented by counsel, self-represented prisoners are
responsible for serving a copy of all documents filed with the Court upon a defendant in
accordance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 5. Self-represented prisoners are solely responsible both for
determining which defendants are represented and for ensuring unrepresented defendants
are served with a copy of any document filed with the Court.
3. Multi-District Litigation
a) Numbering and Docketing
A group of actions transferred to this District under 28 U.S.C. § 1407 shall be given the
composite number previously assigned by the Multi-District Panel. Individual actions within
the group shall be given specific civil action numbers.
