Western District of Washington Document Filing Requirements

WARNING

Applies to

Witness examination

If you intend to question a witness about a group of documents, avoid delay by having all the documents organized and electronically ready to use, when you start examination.

If you intend to question a witness about a group of documents, avoid delay by having all the documents organized and electronically ready to use, when you start examination.

WARNING

Applies to

Exhibits

At the end of trial, counsel should make sure they have all of their exhibits. The Courtroom Deputy is not responsible for them.

At the end of trial, counsel should make sure they have all of their exhibits. The Courtroom Deputy is not responsible for them.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Motion for costs

Failure to file costs motion waives all non-statutory costs.

If the party in whose favor judgment is rendered fails to file a motion for costs, all costs, other than statutory costs, shall be deemed to be waived.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Rule 26f conference

Failure to cooperate in discovery planning may result in additional discussions and sanctions.

(5) If the court determines that any counsel or party in a case has failed to cooperate and participate in good faith in the discovery planning process, the court may require additional discussions prior to the commencement of discovery, and may impose sanctions, if appropriate.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Complaint

Filing fee required for prisoner complaints unless proceeding in forma pauperis or filing 2255 motion.

The complaint shall be accompanied by the appropriate filing fee. No filing fee is required for motions filed pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 or for applications to proceed in forma pauperis.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Summons

US Marshals Service is relieved from civil process serving for private litigants.

Except as provided for in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure or other federal statute, the United States Marshals Service is relieved from any and all civil process serving responsibilities within this district on behalf of private litigants.

WARNING

Applies to

Complaint

If the complaint includes more than three counts, attach additional pages and use the same format for each count.

If you have more than three counts, attach additional pages and follow the same format for each count.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Conditional admission

Conditional admission is revoked if attorney ceases federal agency employment.

The right of such an attorney to practice before this court is conditioned upon his or her continuing to be so employed. If a conditionally admitted attorney ceases to be employed as an attorney for the United States or one of its agencies, the conditional admission will be revoked and the attorney must file a petition for admission as set forth in LCR 83.1(c)(1) and pay the applicable fee.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Joint status report

Parties should not include requests for relief from the court in the joint status report, and the court typically will not rule on such requests. Rather, requests for relief should be contained in a stipulated motion, where feasible, or in a motion.

Parties should not include requests for relief from the court in the joint status report, and the court typically will not rule on such requests. Rather, requests for relief should be contained in a stipulated motion, where feasible, or in a motion.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Stipulated motion

(g) Stipulated Motions If the parties seek a court order related to their stipulation, they should file a stipulated motion pursuant to LCR 7(d)(1). If a stipulated motion would alter dates or schedules previously set by the court, the parties shall clearly state the reasons justifying the proposed change. Such stipulated motions should rarely be necessary, and are disfavored by the court. Stipulations and stipulated motions shall be binding on the court only if adopted by the court through an order. An order based upon a stipulation shall be sufficient if the words “It is so ordered,” or their equivalent, are endorsed on the stipulation at the close thereof and if this endorsement is signed by the court.

(g) Stipulated Motions If the parties seek a court order related to their stipulation, they should file a stipulated motion pursuant to LCR 7(d)(1). If a stipulated motion would alter dates or schedules previously set by the court, the parties shall clearly state the reasons justifying the proposed change. Such stipulated motions should rarely be necessary, and are disfavored by the court. Stipulations and stipulated motions shall be binding on the court only if adopted by the court through an order. An order based upon a stipulation shall be sufficient if the words “It is so ordered,” or their equivalent, are endorsed on the stipulation at the close thereof and if this endorsement is signed by the court.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Legal intern practice

Legal interns cannot receive payment directly from clients.

No legal intern may receive payment from a client for the intern’s services. However, nothing contained herein shall prevent a legal intern from being paid for services by the intern’s employer or to prevent the employer from making such charges for the service of the legal intern as may otherwise be proper.

WARNING

Applies to

Complaint

When attaching supporting documents, identify the page and paragraph relied on for each specific fact; otherwise, the Court may disregard the documents.

If you attach documents to support the facts of your claim(s), you must specify which portion of the document(s) (i.e., page and paragraph) you are relying on to support the specific fact(s) of your claim(s). If you do not specify the portion of the supporting document(s), the Court may disregard your document(s).

WARNINGCivil cases

Attorneys of record responsible for trial readiness and must advise clerk when requested.

Responsibility for the appearance of attorneys, parties and witnesses in court in readiness for trial is on the attorneys of record and is not on the clerk. Attorneys of record shall advise the clerk, upon request, regarding their readiness for trial, probable duration of trial, and such other matters within their knowledge as may facilitate the performance of the clerk’s duties and the prompt trial of causes.

WARNING

Applies to

Complaint

The complaint must state exactly what relief the plaintiff seeks.

State exactly what you want the Court to do for you. For example, you may be seeking money damages from an individual defendant, you may want the Court to order a defendant to do something or to stop doing something, or you may want both kinds of relief.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Discovery

Must include

filing prohibited

Rule 26 disclosures, discovery, and expert reports must not be filed unless used in proceedings or ordered by court.

Rule 26 initial disclosures and discovery requests and responses must not be filed unless they are used in the proceedings or the court orders filing. Nor should expert witness reports be filed unless ordered by the court or unless a report is being submitted for use in the proceedings.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Bond

Must include

criminal case exception

Criminal cases under bail reform act may approve bonds with sureties outside standard requirements.

In criminal cases where conditions of release have been set under the bail reform act, a bond with sureties other than as set out in paragraph (a) of this rule may be approved by a judicial officer.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Expedited joint motion

Must include

declaration

Declarations may be submitted but cannot contain argument; failure to justify fees waives fee request.

(F) Each party may submit declarations for the purpose of attaching documents to be considered in connection with the submission and to provide sufficient information to permit the court to assess expenses and sanctions, if appropriate. If a party fails to include information sufficient to justify an award of fees, it shall be presumed that any request for fees has been waived. A declaration shall not contain any argument.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Supervision limits

Supervising lawyers limited to one intern, with exceptions for public defenders/US Attorneys (2) and clinical courses (10).

As a general rule, no supervising lawyer shall have supervision over more than one legal intern at any one time. However, in the case of (i) the Federal Public Defender or the U.S. Attorney, the supervising lawyer may have supervision over two legal interns at one time, or (ii) a clinical course offered by an approved law school where such course has been approved by its dean and is directed by a member of its faculty, each full-time clinical supervising lawyer may have supervision over ten legal interns at one time.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Motion for costs

Clerk won't tax costs beyond statutory limits without court motion.

The clerk typically will not tax costs beyond those set forth in the statutes listed above. A party seeking additional costs may file a motion, directed to the court, seeking an award of the excess costs.

WARNING

Applies to

Complaint

The relief section must contain no legal arguments or citations to cases or statutes.

Make no legal arguments. Cite no cases or statutes.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

All

Attorneys/parties must notify Clerk's Office within 10 days of address/phone/email changes; subsequent filings must reflect updates.

(f) Name and Address of Parties and Attorneys Any attorney representing any party or any party not represented by an attorney must file a notice with the court of any change in address, telephone number or email address. Such notice must be received by the Clerk’s Office within ten days of the change. All subsequent pleadings, motions or other filings shall reflect the new address, telephone number, and email. The address, telephone number, and email of the party or its attorney, noted on the first pleadings, motions or other filings or as changed by individual notice, shall be conclusively taken as the last known address and telephone number of said party or attorney.

WARNING

Applies to

Complaint

By signing the complaint, the plaintiff represents that the allegations are true to the best of their knowledge, show a violation of law, and are not filed for harassment or another improper purpose.

By signing this complaint, you represent to the Court that you believe the facts alleged to be true to the best of your knowledge, that you believe those facts show a violation of law, and that you are not filing this complaint to harass another person or for any other improper purpose.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Notice of bankruptcy filing

Failure to file bankruptcy notice may result in sanctions.

The court may impose sanctions on one or more parties that fail to file the required Notice.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Habeas corpus petition

(2) If counsel for petitioner claims that respondent has not complied with the requirements of paragraph (1), counsel for petitioner shall immediately notify the court in writing, with a copy to respondent.

(2) If counsel for petitioner claims that respondent has not complied with the requirements of paragraph (1), counsel for petitioner shall immediately notify the court in writing, with a copy to respondent.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Arbitration consent

No pressure or prejudice for refusing arbitration consent.

No party or attorney shall be pressured to consent to arbitration, or prejudiced in any way for refusing consent.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Stipulated protective order

Must include

limited protection, no blanket protection, adequate justification +2 more

(2) Parties may file a proposed stipulated protective order to protect confidential, proprietary, or private information that warrants special protection. The court may enter a proposed stipulated protective order as an order of the court if it adequately and specifically describes the justification for such an order, it is consistent with court rules, it does not purport to confer blanket protection on all disclosures or responses to discovery, its protection from public disclosure and use extends only to the limited information or items that are entitled to confidential treatment under the applicable legal principles, and it does not presumptively entitle the parties to file confidential information under seal. Parties are encouraged to use this district’s model protective order, available on the court’s website. Parties that wish to depart from the model order must provide the court with a redlined version identifying departures from the model.

(2) Parties may file a proposed stipulated protective order to protect confidential, proprietary, or private information that warrants special protection. The court may enter a proposed stipulated protective order as an order of the court if it adequately and specifically describes the justification for such an order, it is consistent with court rules, it does not purport to confer blanket protection on all disclosures or responses to discovery, its protection from public disclosure and use extends only to the limited information or items that are entitled to confidential treatment under the applicable legal principles, and it does not presumptively entitle the parties to file confidential information under seal. Parties are encouraged to use this district’s model protective order, available on the court’s website. Parties that wish to depart from the model order must provide the court with a redlined version identifying departures from the model.

WARNING

Applies to

Complaint

Number paragraphs using count-specific numbering, continuing the numbering provided for the first two paragraphs of each count.

Number your paragraphs. For example, in Count I, paragraphs should be numbered 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc., and in Count II, paragraphs should be numbered 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, etc. The first two paragraphs of each Count have been numbered for you.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Motion for attorney fees

Must include

certificate section

A motion for attorney’s fees should not be included in the motion for costs to the clerk but should be directed to the court pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 54(d), which sets forth requirements for the timing and contents of the motion.

A motion for attorney’s fees should not be included in the motion for costs to the clerk but should be directed to the court pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 54(d), which sets forth requirements for the timing and contents of the motion.

WARNING

Applies to

Deposition

Party must pay court reporter fees for depositions.

You are solely responsible for the payment of fees associated with the services of a court reporter.

WARNING

Applies to

Pleading

Must include

current contact information

All future filings must include updated contact information.

All subsequent pleadings, motions, or other filings must reflect the new contact information.

WARNING

Applies to

Default judgment

Must include

certificate of service

Default judgment may be entered under FRCP 55(a)(b) if defendant fails to answer.

If a defendant does not file an answer within the timeframe required by law, the court may enter an order of default and default judgment, as established by FRCP 55(a)(b).

WARNING

Applies to

Case initiation

Must include

ifp application

IFP form must be completed fully.

It is very important to fill out the form completely as the judge will use this information to determine if you have the financial ability to pay the filing fee.

WARNING

Applies to

Notice of electronic filing

Must include

notice of electronic filing

Filers must save or print the Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF).

You must save or print the notice.

WARNING

Applies to

Case filing

Family law and landlord-tenant cases belong in state court, not federal court.

Is your case about a divorce, child custody, adoption, name change, landlord-tenant dispute, or a will? If so, you are likely in the wrong court. State courts generally hear family law matters and landlord-tenant disputes.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Jury trial

Must include

brief expert qualification questions

Expert qualification questions must be brief in jury trials.

Questions intended to qualify the witness as an expert shall be brief.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Discovery motion

Must include

certificate of conference

Noncompliant discovery motions may be denied or stricken

Noncompliant motions may be summarily denied or stricken.

WARNING

Applies to

Trial proceedings

If you intend to question a witness about a group of documents, avoid delay by having all the documents organized and electronically ready to use, when you start examination.

If you intend to question a witness about a group of documents, avoid delay by having all the documents organized and electronically ready to use, when you start examination.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Trial procedure

Must include

witness availability rule

Witnesses called at peril of calling party; trial not recessed for unavailable witnesses except in extraordinary circumstances.

Once the trial begins, witnesses will be put on call at the peril of the calling party. The trial will not be recessed because a witness is unavailable except in extraordinary circumstances.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Discovery motion

Must include

certificate of conference

Discovery disputes must be raised timely or ability to challenge may be waived

Discovery disputes shall be raised in a timely manner so as to allow discovery to be completed within the discovery deadline. The failure to do so may waive a party’s ability to challenge the discovery behavior.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Discovery motion

Must include

certificate of conference

Unreasonable delay in discovery may result in sanctions

Because the Court expects that the parties should contact it only as a last resort, counsel found to be unreasonably delaying discovery may be sanctioned.

WARNINGCivil cases

Defense counsel should allow enough time to speak to their decision makers about the information and authority, and are expected to provide any new documentation to plaintiff’s counsel at least one week before the settlement conference.

Defense counsel should allow enough time to speak to their decision makers about the information and authority, and are expected to provide any new documentation to plaintiff’s counsel at least one week before the settlement conference.

WARNING

Applies to

Trial proceedings

COVID protocol: provide electronic copies of evidence in advance of trial

COVID PROTOCOL: Counsel should provide electronic copies of all evidence to be offered in advance of trial.

WARNING

Applies to

Trial proceedings

COVID protocol: conduct necessary sidebar conferences in courtroom after jury recess

COVID PROTOCOL: If a sidebar conference is necessary, the Court will conduct any such conference in the Courtroom after giving the jury a recess

WARNING

Applies to

Trial proceedings

COVID exception: counsel may examine witnesses seated at counsel table

COVID PROTOCOL EXCEPTIONS: Counsel may choose to examine witnesses while seated at counsel's table rather than at the lectern. Counsel should endeavor to publish evidence electronically as often as possible to minimize hand-to-hand transfers.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Praecipe

Parties are expected to file accurate, complete documents, and the failure to do so may result in the court’s refusal to consider later filed corrections or additions to the record. In the event that an error is discovered, a party should file, as promptly as possible, a praecipe requesting that the court consider a corrected document, which must be filed as an attachment to the praecipe. The praecipe must specify by docket number the document being corrected and the corrections by page and line number. If the party seeks to add an additional document in support of a previous filing, the praecipe must set forth why the document was not included with the original filing and reference the original filing by docket number.

Parties are expected to file accurate, complete documents, and the failure to do so may result in the court’s refusal to consider later filed corrections or additions to the record. In the event that an error is discovered, a party should file, as promptly as possible, a praecipe requesting that the court consider a corrected document, which must be filed as an attachment to the praecipe. The praecipe must specify by docket number the document being corrected and the corrections by page and line number. If the party seeks to add an additional document in support of a previous filing, the praecipe must set forth why the document was not included with the original filing and reference the original filing by docket number.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Court filing with hyperlinks

Neither a hyperlink nor the site it links to is part of the court record.

Neither a hyperlink, nor any site to which it refers, is considered part of the record.

WARNINGCriminal cases

Applies to

Response

Responses to motions for reconsideration are not allowed unless requested by the court.

No response to a motion for reconsideration shall be filed unless requested by the court. No motion for reconsideration will be granted without such a request.

WARNINGCriminal cases

Applies to

Motion

If motion relies on facts outside the record, movant must serve and file copies of supporting evidence.

If the motion requires consideration of facts not appearing in the record, the movant shall serve and file copies of all evidence offered in support of the motion.

WARNINGCriminal cases

Applies to

Reply

Replies to motions in limine are prohibited unless court requests one.

No reply shall be filed unless requested by the court.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Filing

Each page should include the abbreviated filing title and case number at bottom left, a page number in the specified position, and the preparer’s firm (if any), mailing address, and telephone number at bottom right.

At the left side of the bottom of each page, an abbreviated title of the pleading, motion or other filing should be repeated, followed by the case number. The page number should be placed after the abbreviated title or in the middle of the bottom of each page. At the right side of the bottom of each page, the law firm (if any), mailing address and telephone number of the attorney or party preparing the paper should be printed or typed.