(a) Notice. If a party seeks to proceed under a pseudonym, at the time of filing the initial
pleading, the party must file under seal a Notice of Intention to Proceed by Pseudonym
(“Notice”) and disclose the party’s true name. The Notice shall not be filed electronically but
may be filed conventionally or via email pursuant to AP 3.5. This notice will be maintained
under seal.
(b) Motion. Contemporaneously with the Notice, the party must file a motion to proceed
under the pseudonym, setting forth the justification under applicable law. To the extent the
motion requires disclosure of information that would reasonably identify the party seeking to
proceed under a pseudonym, that identifying information may be redacted by following the
procedure provided for in LR 83.12.
(c) Service. The party seeking to proceed under a pseudonym must serve the Notice and
motion on each opposing party with the complaint.
(d) Objection. Any objection to the motion must be filed by the opposing party
contemporaneously with its first appearance, pleading, petition, motion, response or other
request addressed to the court. The objection shall not disclose in a public filing information
that would reasonably identify the party seeking to proceed under a pseudonym. To the extent
that disclosure of such identifying information is necessary for the opposing party to object,
that identifying information may be redacted by following the procedure provided for in LR
83.12.
(e) Denial of the Motion. If the motion is denied, the party who sought to proceed under a
pseudonym has fourteen (14) days to file an amended complaint naming the party.
(f) Removal Cases. In a removal case, if the plaintiff proceeded by pseudonym in state
court, the Notice pursuant to §(a) and the motion pursuant to §(b) shall be due twenty-one
(21) days after the filing of the notice of removal. Any objection to the motion must be filed
fourteen (14) days after the filing of the motion. The clerk’s office may also contact the party
proceeding by pseudonym for the party’s true name prior to the filing of the Notice for
conflict checking purposes but will provisionally seal the identity of the party proceeding by
pseudonym until the judge rules on the motion.
(Added 12/1/23; § (f) added 12/1/25)
