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Civil Case Opening Procedures

The Court allows attorneys to open some civil cases electronically. Cases that are excluded and should be filed in the traditional manner through the Clerk’s Office are:
  • Sealed
  • Bankruptcy Appeal
  • Miscellaneous
  • Cases transferred in from another district
These cases should be filed in paper format and accompanied by a CD containing PDF versions of all documents and attachments to be filed.
 
If you are filing an emergency matter, you must contact the Clerk’s Office before electronically filing the case. Clerk’s Office staff will contact the appropriate judge if necessary.
 
Before you begin instituting your case in CM/ECF, you must first prepare your complaint, any exhibits, summonses, civil cover sheet, and your Local Rule 103.3 Corporate Disclosure statement, if applicable. You must convert each document into a separate PDF document. The Civil Cover Sheet is available as a form on our website.  Definitions of the Civil Nature of Suit codes are available here.
 
Please complete this form as accurately as possible as this information is used to collect statistical information for the Court and the federal judiciary.  
 
If you do not wish to remit payment online via Pay.gov, then you must file your new case in the traditional manner through the Clerk’s Office. Remember to include a CD containing PDF files of all documents and attachments to be filed.