Eastern District of Pennsylvania Electronic Filing Rules

Attorneys must file public documents via ECF and sealed documents via email to Clerk with motion to impound; all filings via ECF or Clerk’s Office.

Counsel are required to file all attorney documents directly by using the court’s Electronic Case Filing (ECF) system or with the Office of the Clerk of Court. If counsel file public documents, then counsel shall submit and upload the documents directly to the case docket by using ECF. If counsel file sealed documents, then counsel must submit the sealed documents, and a motion to impound, to the Office of the Clerk of Court via email at ECF_Documents@paed.uscourts.gov.

Applies to

Stipulation

Stipulations requiring Court approval must be filed on the court’s ECF system.

Counsel should file any stipulations needing Court approval on the court’s Electronic Case Filing (ECF) system.

Applies to

Motion

Motions for subsequent extensions or extensions requiring Court approval in arbitration-track cases must be filed on ECF.

by filing a Motion on ECF.

Applies to

Attorney document

Counsel must file attorney documents via ECF or Clerk of Court; public documents via ECF, sealed documents via email to Clerk with motion to impound.

As discussed in General Matters, Counsel are required to file all attorney documents directly by using the court’s Electronic Case Filing (ECF) system or with the Office of the Clerk of Court. If counsel file public documents, then counsel shall submit and upload the documents directly to the case docket by using ECF. If counsel file sealed documents, then counsel must submit the sealed documents, and a motion to impound, to the Office of the Clerk of Court via email at ECF_Documents@paed.uscourts.gov.

Attorneys must maintain current contact information in ECF user accounts and update docket contact info as needed.

Lastly, the attorneys of record are reminded to maintain current contact information in their respective ECF user accounts. All attorney contact information displayed on the docket must be updated as needed.

Attorneys must file their own documents directly to ECF or Clerk of Court; may not rely on chambers staff to file.

Pursuant to this Court’s filing procedures, counsel SHALL NOT rely upon or expect chambers staff to file any attorney documents. The attorneys must file their own memoranda, motions, and other materials directly to ECF or with the Clerk of Court.

Applies to

Notice of appearance

Entries of appearance must be filed on ECF before appearing in court.

All entries of appearances must be properly filed to the case docket on ECF prior to appearing in the courtroom for any proceeding.

Applies to

Motion

In removed cases, a pending state court motion must be separately docketed in this Court or it is deemed withdrawn (28 U.S.C. § 1447(c)).

If there is a pending motion in state court, the moving party shall separately docket the motion in this Court. 28 U.S.C. § 1447 (c). Any motion not docketed in this Court shall be deemed withdrawn.

Exhibits filed via ECF must be separate documents with identifying names (not generic labels like “Exhibit A”); single “Exhibits” files will be struck.

When submitting exhibits via ECF, parties should submit each exhibit as a separate document on the CM/ECF system, rather than as a single file. If Judge Wolson receives a filing with a single document marked “Exhibits,” he will strike the filing. In addition, when parties submit exhibits via ECF, they must give each document a name identifying the document. Thus, it is not sufficient to label a file “Exhibit A.” Instead, the name should be “Contract,” “Declaration of John Smith,” or some other reference that permits Judge Wolson to identify what the exhibit is without having to open the file.

Lawyers admitted pro hac vice must register for the Court’s CM/ECF system within seven days of the admission order, or their pro hac admission will be cancelled and orders will not be mailed to them.

Any lawyer admitted pro hac vice must register for the Court’s CM/ECF system within seven days of the Order. If a lawyer fails to register, Judge Wolson will sua sponte cancel the pro hac admission. Judge Wolson will not mail orders to lawyers admitted pro hac vice who do not register for CM/ECF.

Applies to

Joint status report

Joint Rule 26(f) status reports must be submitted to Judge Wolson via email using the provided sample form.

Parties must submit that report to Judge Wolson via email. The parties must use Judge Wolson’s sample Rule 26(f) form that will be attached to the order scheduling the Rule 16 conference.

Applies to

Stipulation, proposed order

Parties must email all stipulations and proposed orders to Chambers instead of filing them on the court docket.

Contrary to Local Civil Rule 5.1.2(9), parties must email all stipulations and proposed orders to Chambers rather than filing them on the docket.

Applies to

Brief

Attorneys must file searchable briefs on the CM/ECF electronic system.

Counsel must post searchable versions of their briefs to the CM/ECF system.

Applies to

All filings

All filings must be filed electronically through ECF as searchable PDFs.

All filings must be filed electronically through ECF in compliance with federal and local rules and must be filed as searchable PDFs.

All counseled parties must use ECF; proposed orders attached to motions; no Chambers submissions except via ECF; court won't act on non-docketed submissions.

Judge Hodge requires all counseled parties to use Electronic Case Filing (“ECF”). Proposed orders should be attached to corresponding motions or memoranda of law. Submission of pleadings, motions, or other filings to Chambers by any method other than ECF is not permitted. Except as expressly provided in Section I.C. Stipulations (above), the Court will not act on any submission that has not been docketed.

Applies to

Rule 26(f) report

Parties must file Rule 26(f) reports on ECF unless leave of court is requested.

The parties must file on ECF (unless leave of Court is requested) and email to Chambers a Rule 26(f) report using the template provided on Judge Hodge’s website at least seven (7) days before the Rule 16 conference.

Applies to

Cja voucher

Counsel must submit CJA vouchers via the eVoucher system.

Counsel shall submit any vouchers for CJA funds in the eVoucher system.

Applies to

Proposed jury instructions and verdict form

Proposed jury instructions and verdict form must be filed on the Court’s docket.

In addition to filing the proposed jury instructions and verdict form on the Court’s docket, the parties must e-mail Word versions of the documents to Chambers_of_Magistrate_Judge_Arteaga@paed.uscourts.gov.

Applies to

Proposed discovery plan

Proposed Discovery Plan must be filed electronically on ECF.

The Proposed Discovery Plan must be filed on ECF.

Applies to

Exhibit list and witness list

Exhibits and witness lists for evidentiary hearings should be e-filed via ECF or provided to chambers and opposing counsel via email.

In addition, counsel should electronically file the exhibits and witness lists through ECF or provide courtesy copies of these materials to chambers staff and opposing counsel via email.

Applies to

Exhibit list

Counsel must submit a list of admitted exhibits via ECF filing at the conclusion of trial.

At the conclusion of trial, counsel shall submit a list of their admitted exhibits to the Court via ECF filing.

Any submission given directly to the judge must also be filed with the Clerk or on ECF.

Counsel are reminded that all submissions given directly to Judge Brody in the courtroom or chambers must also be filed by counsel with the Clerk of the Court or on ECF to assure proper docketing.

Counsel must be registered on ECF to participate in the conference.

All counsel participating in the conference must be registered on ECF.

Applies to

Exhibits

Exhibits may be filed on ECF, but filing is not required for all exhibits based on nature and format.

Throughout civil litigation and criminal prosecutions, counsel will often file exhibits to the case docket on ECF. The Court understands that not all exhibits will necessarily be filed to ECF, based on the nature and format of certain exhibits.