Richmond City Circuit Court, Virginia Document Format Requirements

CRITICAL

The AI-use certification must appear at the end of or be attached to the filing.

The use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) tools is not prohibited in this Court. However, all attorneys and pro se litigants alike shall henceforth provide a disclosure in the form of a certification at the end of, or attached to, filings disclosing the use of AI in any pleading, exhibit to any pleading, memoranda, sketch order, or any other filing.

CRITICAL

Format

PAPER

The proposed jury-instruction copy submitted to the court must be a hard copy.

Pursuant to Rule 1:15(c) and Rule 3A:16 (b), this Court directs that counsel for all parties, unless compliance is waived by the judge assigned to hear the case, must, two days prior to a jury trial date, submit to the court a copy of all instructions such counsel proposes to request via hand-delivery of a hard copy to the attention of the Law Clerk assigned to the Presiding Judge, copying all parties.

CRITICALCriminal casesCourt notice

Participants must file original documentation of their community-service hours each month; photocopies are not accepted.

Participants must file original documentation of the hours you worked each month (no photocopies).

WARNING

Motions should be filed in writing with the clerk’s office as far in advance of trial as practicable, but in no event shall any party file a motion outside of any time periods as may be proscribed by the Code of Virginia or Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Motions should be filed in writing with the clerk’s office as far in advance of trial as practicable, but in no event shall any party file a motion outside of any time periods as may be proscribed by the Code of Virginia or Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia.

WARNING

Cloud-stored digital evidence cannot itself be physically placed into the record.

Digital evidence stored in the cloud does not have a physical presence that can be placed into the record.

WARNING

The Court encourages electronic exhibit publication and requests that a smaller version of any bulky demonstrative exhibit be introduced into the record.

The Court encourages the parties to follow the procedures for publishing exhibits electronically to the jury. Should a party desire to use a bulky exhibit like a posterboard, the Court requests the party introduce a smaller version of the bulky demonstrative exhibit into the record.

WARNING

Pleadings should be brief and present the essential facts in a simple statement using numbered paragraphs.

“Brevity is enjoined as the outstanding characteristic of good pleading. In any pleading a simple statement, in numbered paragraphs, of the essential facts is sufficient.” Va. Sup. Ct. R. 1:4.

INFO

The Court strongly encourages use of the Uniform Pre-Trial Scheduling Order.

The Court strongly encourages the use of the Uniform Pre-Trial Scheduling Order.

INFO

A flash drive is preferred for storing audio or visual evidence over media such as DVD or CD.

Storage of audio and/or visual evidence on a flash drive is preferred over other storage media such as DVD or CD.