(a) Application of Rule.
(1) A document may be filed under seal in a civil case only as provided
by statute or rule, or with leave of court.
(2) This rule does not require a party to file any document under seal,
but sets forth the procedures used when a party seeks to file a document
under seal.
(3) This rule does not affect a party’s obligation to redact personal
identifiers under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2 or LR 5.5, or any
statutory, contractual, or other obligation to keep information confidential.
(b) Electronic Filing. All documents filed in a civil case—whether sealed or
not—must be filed in compliance with the CIVIL ECF PROCEDURES GUIDE.
(c) What May Be Temporarily Sealed. A party may file a document under
temporary seal only if the document contains information that:
(1) the filing party contends is confidential or proprietary;
(2) has been designated as confidential or proprietary by another party,
by a nonparty, or under a non-disclosure agreement or protective order; or
(3) is otherwise entitled to protection from disclosure under a statute,
rule, order, or other legal authority.
(d) Procedure for Filing Documents in Connection with LR 7.1 or LR 72.2
Under Temporary Seal.
(1) Filing Under Temporary Seal. A party seeking to file a document
under seal in connection with a motion under LR 7.1 or an objection under
LR 72.2 must first file the document under temporary seal. That party must
file the temporarily sealed document separately so that the document is
assigned its own docket number (e.g., ECF No. 15 or ECF No. 15-3).
(2) Redacted Public Version. A party filing a document under temporary
seal pursuant to LR 5.6(d)(1) must contemporaneously and publicly file:
(A) a version of that document with the information described in
LR 5.6(c) redacted; or
(B) a statement that the entire document is confidential or that
redaction is impracticable.
(3) Joint Statement of Documents Unsealed by Agreement. Promptly
after the filing of the final memorandum authorized by LR 7.1 or response
authorized by LR 72.2, the parties must confer in good faith about whether
any documents filed under temporary seal may be unsealed. Within 14 days
after the filing of such final memorandum or response, the parties must file
a Joint Statement of Documents Unsealed by Agreement, listing the docket
numbers of any documents the parties agree may be unsealed in their
entirety or stating that there are no such documents. Barring any
amendment to the Joint Statement or court order to the contrary, the clerk’s
office will automatically unseal the listed documents 14 days after the Joint
Statement is filed.
(4) Joint Motion Regarding Continued Sealing. Within 21 days after a
final decision on the underlying LR 7.1 motion is filed, including a decision
on any appeals or objections pursuant to LR 72.2, the parties must file a
completed Joint Motion Regarding Continued Sealing Form.
(A) Joint Motion’s Contents. The joint motion must list by docket
number each document filed under temporary seal in connection with
the underlying motion or objection and, for each such document:
(i) briefly describe the document;
(ii) precisely identify:
a) the information that the parties agree should
remain sealed;
b) the information that the parties agree should be
unsealed; and
c) the information about which the parties
disagree;
(iii) explain why the parties agree that the information
should remain sealed or be unsealed or, if the parties
disagree, briefly explain each party’s position; and
(iv) identify any nonparty that has designated the
document or information in the document as confidential or
proprietary.
(B) Party to File Joint Motion. Unless the parties agree or the
magistrate judge orders otherwise, the party that filed the first
document under temporary seal in connection with the underlying
motion or objection must file the joint motion.
(C) Order on Joint Motion. The magistrate judge will ordinarily rule
on the joint motion without oral argument. A party or nonparty that
objects to the order must file a motion for further consideration under
LR 5.6(f).
(D) Notice to Nonparties. If the magistrate judge orders the
unsealing of information designated as confidential or proprietary by
a person or entity that has not entered an appearance in the case,
the party that filed that information under temporary seal must, within
7 days after entry of the order, notify the nonparty by providing a copy
of the order together with any document affected by the order that
contains information designated as confidential or proprietary by the
nonparty. Such notification must be made in a manner reasonably
calculated to bring the matter promptly to the attention of someone
in a position to determine whether the nonparty should seek further
consideration of the order pursuant to LR 5.6(f).
(5) Presiding Judge Authority. Nothing in this rule shall be construed
as abrogating the presiding judge’s discretion to either unseal or grant
continued sealing of temporarily sealed documents at any time after
providing interested parties and nonparties an opportunity to be heard.
(e) Procedure for Filing Pleadings and Related Documents Under
Temporary Seal.
(1) Filing Under Temporary Seal. A party seeking to file a pleading or
related document under seal must first file the document under temporary
seal. That party must file the temporarily sealed document separately so
that the document is assigned its own docket number (e.g., ECF No. 15 or
ECF No. 15-3).
(2) Redacted Public Version.
(A) Requirement. A party filing a document under temporary seal
pursuant to LR 5.6(e)(1) must publicly file:
(i) a version of that document with the information
described in LR 5.6(c) redacted; or
(ii) a statement that the entire document is confidential or
that redaction is impracticable.
(B) Timing. If the document under temporary seal is filed
electronically, the redacted version or statement must be publicly
filed contemporaneously. If the document under temporary seal is
filed conventionally, the redacted version or statement must be
publicly filed within 14 days.
(3) Motion Regarding Continued Sealing. A party filing a document
under temporary seal pursuant to LR 5.6(e)(1) must file a motion
regarding continued sealing and supporting memorandum.
(A) Contents of Supporting Memorandum. The supporting
memorandum must list by docket number each document filed under
temporary seal and, for each such document:
(i) describe the document; and
(ii) precisely identify:
a) any information the filing party contends should
remain sealed and the factual bases for each such
contention;
b) any information the filing party agrees may be
unsealed; and
c) any document or information in the document
that the filing party believes has been designated as
confidential or proprietary by any other party or any
nonparty, along with the name of each such other party
or nonparty and the factual bases for each such belief.
(B) Timing of Motion. If the document under temporary seal is
filed electronically, the motion regarding continued sealing must be
filed contemporaneously and the supporting memorandum must be
filed within two business days after filing the document under
temporary seal. If the document under temporary seal is filed
conventionally, the motion regarding continued sealing and the
supporting memorandum must be filed within 14 days after filing the
document under temporary seal.
(C) Timing of Responsive Memorandum. The magistrate judge
will set a deadline for any responsive memorandum.
(D) Order on Motion. The magistrate judge will ordinarily rule on
the motion without oral argument.
(E) Notice to Nonparties. If the magistrate judge orders the
unsealing of information designated as confidential or proprietary by
a person or entity that has not entered an appearance in the case,
the party that filed that information under temporary seal must, within
7 days after entry of the order, notify the nonparty by providing a copy
of the order together with any document affected by the order that
contains information designated as confidential or proprietary by the
nonparty. Such notification must be made in a manner reasonably
calculated to bring the matter promptly to the attention of someone
in a position to determine whether the nonparty should seek further
consideration of the order pursuant to LR 5.6(f).
(f) Motion for Further Consideration of Sealing. Within 21 days after entry
of a magistrate judge’s order denying continued sealing in response to a motion under
LR 5.6(d)(4) or LR 5.6(e)(3), a party or nonparty may file a motion for further consideration
by the magistrate judge. If the motion for further consideration relates to information
designated as confidential or proprietary by a person or entity that has not entered an
appearance in the case, the movant must contemporaneously provide to the nonparty a
copy of the motion and all documents filed in support of the motion. The motion for further
consideration is a nondispositive motion governed by LR 7.1(b).
(g) Objection to Order Disposing of Motion for Further Consideration of
Sealing. A party or nonparty that had notice of a motion for further consideration of
sealing may object to a magistrate judge’s order disposing of a motion for further
consideration of sealing, but only if that party or nonparty filed or opposed the motion.
The objection is governed by LR 72.2(a).
(h) Duration of Temporary Seal.
(1) Temporary Seal While Case is Pending. Except as provided in LR
5.6(h)(2), or as otherwise ordered by the court, a document filed under
temporary seal remains under temporary seal until the latest of the
following:
(A) The next business day following the applicable deadline for
filing a motion regarding continued sealing under LR 5.6(d)(4) or LR
5.6(e)(3);
(B) The next business day following the applicable deadline for
filing a motion for reconsideration of the magistrate judge’s order
disposing of the motion regarding continued sealing under LR 5.6(f);
(C) The next business day following the applicable deadline for
filing an objection to the magistrate judge’s order disposing of the
motion for further consideration under LR 5.6(g); or
(D) The next business day following entry of the district judge’s
order disposing of an objection under LR 5.6(g).
(2) Temporary Seal upon Disposition of Case. A document that is under
temporary seal at the time that the case is disposed of—such as by remand,
transfer, dismissal, or entry of judgment—will remain sealed unless the
court orders otherwise.
(i) Procedure for Filing Other Documents Under Seal. A party seeking
leave of court to file a document under seal other than under LR 5.6(d) or LR 5.6(e) must,
before filing, obtain direction from the court on the procedure to be followed.
[Adopted effective February 27, 2017; amended April 1, 2019; amended June 10, 2024;
amended February 10, 2026]
2026 Advisory Committee Note to LR 5.6
The primary focus of these amendments is to postpone the deadline for the Joint Motion Regarding
Continued Sealing until after a final decision on the underlying motion has been issued, so that magistrate
judges have the benefit of the final decision when ruling on the joint motion. In that regard, it is expected
that the explanation of the parties’ positions in their Joint Motion Regarding Continued Sealing on why
documents should or should not remain sealed under subsection (d)(4)(A)(iii) will include, inter alia, whether
the information played a material role in the decision resolving the underlying motion or objection. See IDT
Corp. v. eBay, 709 F.3d 1220 (8th Cir. 2013).
Nothing in this rule, which addresses the obligations of the parties with regard to sealed filings, is
intended to abrogate the rights of nonparties that may exist under court rules, the common law, and/or the
First Amendment to access court filings by filing an appropriate motion at any time, notwithstanding the
deadlines in this rule.
2024 Advisory Committee Note to LR 5.6
The primary focus of these amendments is to establish a procedure for filing under seal information
included in pleadings or related documents. Previously, LR 5.6 specified only a process for filing information
under seal in connection with motions under LR 7.1 or objections under LR 72.2. Parties that sought to file
under seal in any other context were instructed to obtain direction from the court on the procedure to be
followed. Since then, however, pleadings and related documents (such as exhibits and addenda) have
occasionally been filed under seal—sometimes in their entirety—without the filing party seeking direction
from the court, or with varying instructions from chambers. Given the importance of access by the parties
and the public to the documents that set forth the very claims and defenses in a case, and the pleading
standards in federal court, it should be the rare exception when any part of a pleading needs to be filed
under seal for reasons other than dictated by statute (which are outside the scope of this rule). The
committee concluded that LR 5.6 should be amended to establish a consistent process for the rare occasion
when a party seeks to file a pleading or related document under seal.
Because pleadings are often filed before all parties have entered an appearance or even have
notice of the litigation, the joint motion process of LR 5.6(d) could not simply be extended to temporarily
sealed pleadings. Accordingly, subdivision LR 5.6(e) sets out a new procedure for temporary sealing and
related motion practice for pleadings and related documents. This amendment is not intended to change
the practice for filing pleadings-related motions, such as motions to dismiss or motions to amend under LR
7.1(b) or LR 7.1(c), which continues to be governed by LR 5.6(d).
Subdivision (e). Under this new subdivision (e), as under subdivision (d), the party filing
documents under temporary seal must also file either (1) an unsealed public version that redacts only the
material that is the basis for the request to seal, or (2) a statement that it is impracticable to file a redacted
version. For parties filing electronically, the redacted public version or statement of impracticability must be
filed contemporaneously with the filing of the sealed documents themselves, consistent with the
requirement in subdivision (d). For pro se parties filing conventionally, however, subdivision (e) allows them
14 days after filing the sealed documents to file the redacted public version or statement. Subdivision (d),
by contrast, does not differentiate between parties filing electronically and parties filing conventionally with
regard to the deadline for filing redacted public versions of documents filed under temporary seal in
connection with motions.
Like subdivision (d), subdivision (e) also requires a motion regarding the continued sealing of
documents filed under temporary seal. The continued sealing motion prescribed by subdivision (e) for
pleadings and related documents, however, is different in several significant respects from the motion
required by subdivision (d).
First, the motion regarding continued sealing prescribed by subdivision (e) must be filed sooner
than that of subdivision (d). Under subdivision (e), parties filing electronically must file the motion
contemporaneously with the filing of the sealed documents and the redacted public versions, although the
rule gives them an additional two business days to file the supporting memorandum. Parties filing
conventionally must file the motion together with the supporting memorandum within 14 days (the same as
the deadline for filing the redacted public versions). By contrast, the motion regarding continued sealing
under subdivision (d) is filed only after the conclusion of all briefing on the underlying motion.
Second, unlike subdivision (d), the motion regarding continued sealing under subdivision (e) is not
prepared jointly but rather solely by the filing party. In the context of a motion filed under LR 7.1 (and
therefore subject to the LR 5.6(d) process), multiple parties will file memoranda and may file arguably
confidential documents pertaining to the underlying motion. It therefore makes sense to wait until the
conclusion of all briefing and then have the parties work jointly on the submission to the court identifying
what information filed in connection with that motion may be unsealed and what ought to remain sealed
and why. The same is not true of pleadings; indeed, there may be no other parties that have yet entered
an appearance in the case and it may be uncertain whether or when all parties will appear. For this reason,
subdivision (e) leaves it to the court to determine whether and, if so, when, a responsive memorandum
must be filed. However, as with any motion, the party filing a motion regarding continued sealing in
connection with pleadings or related documents should attempt to meet and confer with opposing counsel
about that motion unless it is not practicable to do so. See LR 7.1(a). A proactive effort to meet and confer
could be helpful (and perhaps even obviate the need for temporary sealing of the documents in the first
place), particularly if the reason for sealing is based not on the filing party’s own concerns for confidentiality
but on the belief that the opposing party will assert that the information is confidential.
Third, the concise form used for joint motions regarding continued sealing under subdivision (d) will
not suffice for a motion regarding continued sealing of pleadings or related documents. Rather, because of
the presumptively public nature of pleadings, the party must describe in greater detail in a memorandum of
law the factual and legal bases for the claim that the documents should remain sealed.
Subdivision (e), like subdivision (d), requires notice within seven days to a nonparty regarding an
order for unsealing of information to which the nonparty claims confidentiality. The provision is identical in
the two subdivisions. However, these amendments make some minor revisions to that provision. In addition
to nonsubstantive changes for readability, the amended provision dispenses with the requirement that the
nonparty be “serve[d]” with a copy of the order and any affected documents, replacing it with the more
functional requirement that the nonparty be notified and provided with a copy in a manner reasonably
calculated to bring it to the attention of someone in a position to determine whether the nonparty should
seek further consideration of the order under LR 5.6(f). In most cases, the nonparty representative to whom
that notification should be made will be apparent because one or more of the parties will have interacted
with such a person at the time the nonparty provided its confidential documents, whether in discovery or in
the course of prior business dealings in which the documents were exchanged. Where that is not the case,
the party that bears the responsibility of notifying the nonparty should promptly seek guidance from the
court about how notice should be given.
Other amendments to LR 5.6 are organizational in nature. Because the processes for seeking
further consideration of and objecting to orders on motions for continued sealing are the same for both
subdivision (d) and new subdivision (e), those provisions were moved to separate new subdivisions (f) and
(g) to minimize duplication. For the same reason, the provisions addressing the duration of a temporary
seal were moved to a new subdivision (h).
Subdivisions (f) and (h). Subdivisions (f) and (h), however, also include substantive changes. In
subdivision (f), the time for filing a motion for further consideration of an order denying sealing has been
reduced from 28 days to 21 days. This change was made to shorten the time to ultimate resolution while
balancing the interests of the parties and concerned nonparties in putting before the court the underlying
factual and legal bases for a claim of confidentiality.
The provisions of subdivision (h) were revised in several ways to clarify the expiration date of a
temporary seal. First, in the absence of a court order, temporary sealing will now automatically expire on
“the next business day following” an applicable deadline rather than a certain number of days after a
previous procedural step. This change was made to avoid the temporary seal arguably expiring on the last
day a motion or objection could still be filed under the rule (or despite a court-granted extension of time for
that filing). Second, the rule now explicitly states that a temporary seal automatically expires if no motion
regarding continued sealing is timely filed.
Subdivision (i). New subdivision (i) is largely the same as the equivalent “catchall” provision in
prior subdivision (e), but now excludes pleadings and pleading-related documents. It also emphasizes that
a party wishing to file under seal a document in some context not addressed by LR 5.6(d) or (e) must seek
direction from the court before filing the document.
2019 Advisory Committee Note to LR 5.6
These amendments clarify that the procedures of LR 5.6 also apply to objections under LR 72.2.
LR 5.6(d)(1) clarifies that the document filed under temporary seal must be filed as a separate
document (e.g., ECF No. 15) or as a separate attachment (e.g., ECF No. 15-3) so that parties, nonparties,
and the court can refer to it by a unique number. Further guidance on the mechanics of filing documents
under temporary seal may be found in the Civil ECF Procedures Guide.
LR 5.6(d)(1)(C) has been added to address what happens to a document that is under temporary
seal upon the disposition of the case. This situation will arise when a document is filed under temporary
seal and the case is disposed of — such as by remand, transfer, dismissal, or entry of judgment — before
the process described in LR 5.6(d)(2) has run its course. LR 5.6(d)(1)(C) provides that, in that situation,
the document will remain sealed unless a court orders otherwise. Thus, if a magistrate judge orders a
document to be unsealed, and the case is subsequently disposed of before the deadline in LR 5.6(d)(1)(B),
the document will remain sealed even if no party has opposed the magistrate judge’s order. But if a
magistrate judge orders a document to be unsealed, and the case is disposed of after the deadline in LR
5.6(d)(1)(B), the document will be unsealed and will remain unsealed. Parties should bear this in mind
when, for example, they settle a case before the deadline in LR 5.6(d)(1)(B). If the parties will not be able
to finalize the settlement papers and obtain dismissal before that deadline, any party that seeks continued
sealing must either continue with the process described in LR 5.6(d)(2) or move to extend the temporary
seal until the case is dismissed.
LR 5.6(d)(2) makes clear that when only part of a document contains confidential information, the
parties must identify precisely what information must remain sealed and what information may be disclosed.
The parties must do so either by specifying where the information is located in the document or by proposing
redactions. For example, if part of a document can be disclosed, the parties either must briefly describe
what part can be disclosed and what part cannot be disclosed (e.g., “the email can be disclosed except for
the second sentence of the third paragraph on the first page”), or must file proposed redactions illustrating
what part of the document can be disclosed and what part cannot be disclosed. It is now permissible, and
parties are encouraged, to file with the Joint Motion Regarding Continued Sealing proposed redactions of
any document to allow the court to determine precisely what information must remain sealed and what
information may be unsealed. This provision is an exception to the statement in the 2017 Advisory
Committee Note that the Joint Motion Regarding Continued Sealing form is the “only document that may
be filed.” Proposed redactions must be filed under seal and in compliance with the Civil ECF Procedures
Guide. The procedure established by LR 5.6(d) does not apply to proposed redactions.
All other amendments are intended to be stylistic only.
2017 Advisory Committee Note to LR 5.6
LR 5.6 is a new rule regarding the filing of information under seal in civil cases. The new rule
addresses two problems with current practice:
First, the court has never established a uniform process for filing information under seal in civil
cases. As a result, current practice is haphazard, varying from judge to judge and case to case. In fact,
parties sometimes file information under seal in civil cases without seeking or receiving the permission of a
judge.
Second, parties have been filing too much information under seal in civil cases, in part because of
confusion over the difference between protective orders and sealing orders. As a general matter, the public
does not have a right of access to information exchanged in discovery; thus, protective orders are often
quite broad, covering entire documents or sets of documents produced during discovery, even when most
or all of the contents are not particularly sensitive. But the public does have a qualified right of access to
information that is filed with the court. Even if such information is covered by a protective order, that
information should not be kept under seal unless a judge determines that a party or nonparty’s need for
confidentiality outweighs the public’s right of access.
This rule is intended to reduce the amount of information that is sealed in civil cases and to ensure
that no information is sealed without the permission of a judge.
Subdivision (a). LR 5.6(a) provides that a document may be filed under seal only as provided by
statute or rule, or with leave of court. This rule does not require any party to file any information under seal.
Rather, this rule simply provides the procedures that a party must follow when the party seeks to file
information under seal to protect its own interests or to comply with a statutory, contractual, or other
obligation to keep information confidential. The procedures set forth in this rule need not be followed by a
party who is merely redacting personal identifiers in compliance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 5.2 or LR 5.5.
Subdivision (b). LR 5.6(b) provides that every document filed in a civil case—whether under seal
or not—must be filed electronically and in compliance with the Civil ECF Procedures Guide. A document
may not be filed in paper form unless such filing is authorized by the Guide.
Subdivision (c). LR 5.6(c)(1) provides that a party may not seek to file information under seal
unless that information is “confidential.” LR 5.6(c)(2) defines “confidential information.
Subdivision (d). LR 5.6(d) establishes a four-step procedure to determine whether information
filed in connection with a motion under LR 7.1 will be sealed.
Step One (LR 5.6(d)(1)). A party who seeks to file a document under seal must first file the
document under temporary seal. The document must be filed separately, so that parties, nonparties, and
the court can refer to the document by its own docket number.
When a party files a document under temporary seal, the party must at the same time publicly file
either (1) a version of that document with the confidential information redacted or (2) a statement that the
entire document is confidential or that redaction is impracticable.
The redaction requirement should not pose an onerous burden in connection with most discovery
disputes. LR 5.6(d)(1)(A) does not require redaction when “the entire document is confidential.” LR
5.6(c)(2) defines “confidential information” to include information that “has been designated as confidential
or proprietary . . . under a . . . protective order.” Thus, if an entire document has been designated as
confidential under a protective order (as is often the case), that document need not be redacted. A large
share of discovery disputes involve such documents.
Outside of the context of discovery disputes, parties should only rarely file a statement that a
document cannot be redacted. If a document reasonably can be redacted, the document must be redacted.
After a document is filed under temporary seal, LR 5.6(d)(1)(B) ensures that the document will
remain under temporary seal until the court makes a final decision about whether the document should
remain sealed.
Step Two (LR 5.6(d)(2)). After all memoranda and other documents pertaining to the underlying
motion have been filed, all parties must together file a single Joint Motion Regarding Continued Sealing.
The joint motion must be filed within 21 days after the filing of the final memorandum authorized by LR 7.1.
The joint motion must be filed using the Joint Motion Regarding Continued Sealing Form, which is available
on the court’s website. That form is the only document that may be filed; no other filings, including the
filings contemplated by LR 7.1, are required or permitted in connection with the joint motion. The party who
first filed a document under temporary seal in connection with the LR 7.1 motion bears the responsibility
for filing the joint motion.
The joint motion must address every document that has been filed under temporary seal, even if
all parties agree that a document may be unsealed. The parties must do three things with respect to each
temporarily sealed document: First, the parties must briefly describe the document (e.g., “09/23/2016 email
from A. Jones to B. Smith”). Second, the parties must briefly explain why they agree that the document
should remain sealed or be unsealed—or, if the parties disagree, the parties should briefly explain each
party’s position. (The parties should bear in mind that, before a final decision is made to seal or unseal a
document, every party and affected nonparty will have an opportunity to fully brief the issue.) Third, the
parties must identify any nonparty who has designated the document or information in the document as
confidential or proprietary.
The magistrate judge will rule on the joint motion in an order that will specify whether and to what
extent each document will remain sealed. The magistrate judge will almost always rule without oral
argument, so the parties need not contact the magistrate judge to schedule a hearing. If the magistrate
judge orders the unsealing of information that a nonparty has designated as confidential or proprietary, the
party who filed that information under temporary seal must, within seven days after entry of the order, serve
on the nonparty a copy of the document containing that information and the order. This will give the
nonparty a chance to challenge the decision to unseal its information.
No party or nonparty may ask the district judge to review the magistrate judge’s order. Instead, a
party or nonparty who objects to the order must first file a motion for further consideration under LR
5.6(d)(3). An order disposing of a motion for further consideration is reviewable by the district judge.
Step Three (LR 5.6(d)(3)). After the magistrate judge rules on the joint motion, any party or any
nonparty whose information has been ordered unsealed or who otherwise objects to the magistrate judge’s
ruling may file a motion for further consideration by the magistrate judge. The nonparty may file such a
motion without intervening in the case under Fed. R. Civ. P. 24. If the motion for further consideration
relates to information that a nonparty has designated as confidential or proprietary, the movant must serve
on that nonparty a copy of the motion and all documents filed in support of the motion (unless, of course,
the movant is the nonparty that designated the information as confidential or proprietary).
A motion for further consideration by the magistrate judge is a nondispositive motion governed by
LR 7.1(b); it is not a motion for reconsideration under LR 7.1(j). At this point, any party or nonparty who
objects to the unsealing (or sealing) of information will have a full opportunity to brief the issue.
Step Four (LR 5.6(d)(4)). After the magistrate judge disposes of the motion for further
consideration, any party or nonparty who filed or opposed that motion may file an objection to the magistrate
judge’s order. Such an objection is governed by LR 72.2(a).
Subdivision (e). The procedure provided by LR 5.6(d) applies only when a party seeks leave to
file under seal a document in connection with a motion under LR 7.1. That procedure does not apply when
a party seeks leave to file a document under seal in another context, such as when a party seeks leave to
file a trial exhibit under seal. In such circumstances, the party should seek direction from the judge about
how the party should request the judge’s permission to file the document under seal.
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