Western District of Washington Document Format Requirements

WARNINGCriminal cases

Electronic devices allowed but must be silenced; digital assistants must be disabled.

Cellphones, laptops, and electronic devices are allowed inside the courtroom, but telephone ringtones and other functional sounds produced by devices must be disabled while in the courtroom. If your phone, laptop or tablet features a digital assistant (e.g., Siri), be sure to disable the voice-prompt or always-listening feature to avoid accidental courtroom interruptions. Individuals whose devices interrupt proceedings may be sanctioned.

WARNING

Applies to

Claim construction hearing

The Court will construe no more than ten claim terms at the hearing unless the parties obtain advance leave of Court.

Unless the Parties obtain leave of the Court in advance, the Court will construe a maximum of ten (10) claim terms at the claim construction hearing.

WARNING

Videoconference participants must test their connection link before hearing or trial.

All videoconference participants must test the link that will be provided in advance of the hearing or trial date to make sure it works for them.

WARNING

In addition, parties submitting proposed orders are requested to format them such that the Court’s signature block does not appear alone without any identifying content—such as the signature(s) of the presenting attorney(s) and/or at least one or two lines of specific text from the body of the order—above it on the page. This supports the Court’s efforts to deter unauthorized or fraudulent use of its signature. A proposed order drafted such that the Court’s signature appears alone on a page, or accompanied only by generic language such as “It is so ordered,” will require reformatting, which may delay entry of the order.

In addition, parties submitting proposed orders are requested to format them such that the Court’s signature block does not appear alone without any identifying content—such as the signature(s) of the presenting attorney(s) and/or at least one or two lines of specific text from the body of the order—above it on the page. This supports the Court’s efforts to deter unauthorized or fraudulent use of its signature. A proposed order drafted such that the Court’s signature appears alone on a page, or accompanied only by generic language such as “It is so ordered,” will require reformatting, which may delay entry of the order.

WARNING

Applies to

Claim construction brief

The Court recommends limiting claim construction briefs to ten jointly chosen terms unless the parties obtain prior leave of Court.

Claim construction briefs should therefore be limited to ten (10) terms that the Parties choose jointly, absent prior leave of Court.

WARNING

All Parties appearing via video should sign in using their first and last names as they appear in filings to the Court.

All Parties appearing via video should sign in using their first and last names as they appear in filings to the Court.

WARNING

Electronic devices allowed in courtroom but must be silenced; voice assistants must be disabled. Violators may be sanctioned.

Cellphones, laptops, and electronic devices are allowed inside the courtroom, but telephone ringtones and other functional sounds must be disabled. If your phone, laptop or tablet features a digital assistant (e.g., Siri), be sure to disable the voice-prompt or always-listening feature to avoid accidental courtroom interruptions. Individuals whose devices interrupt proceedings may be sanctioned.

WARNING

Substantive information should appear in the body of the brief, not in footnotes; footnotes should be used only for explanatory and supplemental information.

Further, substantive information and discussion should appear in the body of the brief; footnotes are to be reserved for explanatory and supplemental information.

WARNINGCivil cases

Counsel should follow LCR 51’s guidance on the format of proposed instructions.

Counsel should follow the guidance set forth in LCR 51 regarding the format of proposed instructions.

WARNING

The complaint must be legibly handwritten or typed, and you should not write on the back of any page.

Your Complaint must be legibly handwritten or typed. NOTE: DO NOT WRITE ON THE BACK OF ANY OF THE PAGES OF THE COMPLAINT; any writing on the back of any page might not be considered by the Court.

WARNINGCivil cases

Settlement memorandum emails must use a specific subject line format including case name and party position.

The email subject line should read: “Confidential – [name of party] v. [name of party] - , 2018 - [Plaintiff’s/Defendant’s] Settlement Position Paper.”

WARNINGCriminal cases

Margins

top 1 in, bottom 1 in, left 1 in, right 1 in

No less than three inches of space should be left at the top of the first page. All other margins must be at least one inch wide, although formatted lines and numbering, attorney information, the name of the judge(s) to whom copies should be sent, and footers may be placed in the margins. The text of any typed or printed brief must be 12 point or larger and must, with the exception of quotations, be double spaced or exactly 24 points. Footnotes must be 10 point or larger and may be single spaced. A proportionally spaced font must be used on all typed filings.

No less than three inches of space should be left at the top of the first page. All other margins must be at least one inch wide, although formatted lines and numbering, attorney information, the name of the judge(s) to whom copies should be sent, and footers may be placed in the margins. The text of any typed or printed brief must be 12 point or larger and must, with the exception of quotations, be double spaced or exactly 24 points. Footnotes must be 10 point or larger and may be single spaced. A proportionally spaced font must be used on all typed filings.

WARNINGCivil cases

Margins

top 3 in

The first page should leave at least three inches at the top; other margins must be at least one inch, subject to the stated permitted margin placements.

No less than three inches of space should be left at the top of the first page. All other margins must be at least one inch wide, although formatted lines and numbering, attorney information, the name of the judge(s) to whom copies should be sent, and footers may be placed in the margins.

WARNINGCriminal cases

Each pleading, motion or other filing shall bear line numbers in the left margin, leaving at least one-half inch of space to the left of the numbers.

Each pleading, motion or other filing shall bear line numbers in the left margin, leaving at least one-half inch of space to the left of the numbers.

WARNINGCriminal cases

Each proposed jury instruction must be numbered consecutively and include supporting authority at the foot of the page.

Each proposed instruction shall be numbered consecutively as "Plaintiff's (or Government's or Defendant's) proposed Instruction No. (fill in number)," and each shall reflect, at the foot of the page, any supporting authority for the instruction.

WARNINGCriminal cases

Original documents must be single-sided on 8.5x11 inch paper; signatures on originals must be original.

Originals of documents filed with the court shall not contain double-sided pages or items other than 8 ½ x 11 inch paper, unless double- sided or larger original documents are being filed as exhibits. If an original document is required to be filed with the court, any required signature thereto must also be original.

WARNINGCivil cases

The party offering a video deposition must know how to use the necessary courtroom technology and ensure the video is appropriately edited.

The party offering the video is responsible for being familiar with the courtroom technology necessary to play it and for ensuring that the video is edited appropriately.

WARNING

Format

PDF

PDF exhibits should be OCR-scanned and searchable if possible.

PDF documents should be scanned using Optical Character Recognition if possible and encoded as a searchable PDF

WARNING

Format

PDF

PDF exhibits should be OCR-scanned and searchable when possible.

PDF documents should be scanned using Optical Character Recognition if possible and encoded as a searchable PDF

WARNING

Submit each exhibit set in individual file folders, not notebooks or binders, with appropriately numbered tabs.

Each set of exhibits shall be submitted in individual file folders (not in notebooks or binders) with appropriately numbered tabs.

WARNING

Format

PDF

PDF exhibits should be scanned using OCR and made searchable if possible.

PDF documents should be scanned using Optical Character Recognition if possible & encoded as a searchable PDF

WARNINGCivil cases

Format

DOCX

The parties should submit the Joint Instructions and Joint Statement of Disputed Instructions in Word format by email if they have not already done so.

In addition to the requirements set forth in LR 51, if they have not already done so, the parties should submit the Joint Instructions and Joint Statement of Disputed Instructions in Word format to jonesorders@wawd.uscourts.gov

WARNING

Video exhibits must be submitted on separate disk due to JEEP size limitations.

VIDEO EXHIBITS shall be submitted on a separate disk. Currently, JEEP has size limitations for video exhibits. Therefore, there is a separate process for saving them to the Portfolio.

WARNING

Format

PDF

PDF documents should be scanned using OCR and encoded as searchable PDFs when possible.

PDF documents should be scanned using Optical Character Recognition if possible & encoded as a searchable PDF

INFO

Orders and judgments must be formatted per Local Bankruptcy Rule 9021-1.

Orders and judgments shall be formatted in accordance with Local Bankruptcy Rule 9021-1.

INFO

Orders are exempt from the formatting requirements of Rule 9004-1 and must not include the judge's name on the front page.

Orders are to be formatted in accordance with Local Bankruptcy Rule 9021-1 and are not governed by the formatting provisions set forth above. Accordingly, an order will not include the name of the judge assigned to the case in the upper right side of the top of the front page.

INFOCivil cases

Plaintiff exhibits numbered 1+, Defendant exhibits prefixed A-1+.

The Court alters the LCR 16 procedure for numbering exhibits as follows: Plaintiff’s exhibits should be numbered consecutively beginning with 1; Defendant’s exhibits should include the prefix “A” and should be numbered consecutively beginning with A-1.

INFOCivil cases

Plaintiff exhibits numbered 1+, Defendant exhibits numbered 500+.

The Court hereby alters the LCR 16.1 procedure for numbering exhibits: Plaintiff(s)’ exhibits shall be numbered consecutively beginning with 1; Defendant(s)’ exhibits shall be numbered consecutively beginning with 500.

INFOCivil cases

Format

PDF

Electronic copies of exhibits should be sent to the Courtroom Deputy in PDF format with OCR searchable text seven days before trial.

no later than seven days before the trial date, the parties should send an electronic copy of all exhibits in .PDF format with Optical Character Recognition (“OCR”) searchable text to the Courtroom Deputy at KKEcrd@wawd.uscourts.gov.

INFOCivil cases

Format

PDF

PDF exhibits should be OCR-scanned and searchable.

• PDF documents should be scanned using Optical Character Recognition if possible and encoded as a searchable PDF.

INFOCivil cases

Format

PDF

PDF documents should be OCR-scanned and searchable.

If possible, all PDF documents, including exhibits, should be scanned using Optical Character Recognition ("OCR") and encoded as a searchable PDF.

INFOCriminal cases

The Court prefers that citations be included in the body of the briefing, not in footnotes, with the exception of citations following explanatory footnotes.

The Court prefers that citations be included in the body of the briefing, not in footnotes, with the exception of citations following explanatory footnotes.

INFOCivil cases

Claim construction hearing is scheduled for 5 hours.

The claim construction hearing will be set for one full trial day (5 hours). If more or less time is required, the parties are instructed to inform Natalie Wood, Courtroom Deputy, at Natalie_Wood@wawd.uscourts.gov.

INFO

Format

PDF

PDF documents should be OCR'd and searchable if possible.

If possible, all PDF documents, including exhibits, should be scanned using Optical Character Recognition ("OCR") and encoded as a searchable PDF.

INFO

PDF exhibits should be text-searchable when possible.

If possible, PDF documents should be provided in a text-searchable format.

INFO

The Court prefers searchable-text PDFs for docket filings where feasible.

Where feasible, the Court prefers PDFs to be filed on the docket, in a searchable-text format.

INFO

Additional pages may be attached when more space is needed to answer a question.

If you need additional space to answer any question(s), you may attach additional pages.

INFO

Format of documents.......................................................................................... 31

Format of documents.......................................................................................... 31

INFOCivil cases

The parties are permitted to place witness lists on separate pages.

The parties’ witness lists may be on separate pages.

INFOCivil cases

Electronically filed documents may contain hyperlinks to other portions of the document, other documents, or websites containing cited source documents.

Electronically filed documents may contain hyperlinks to other portions of the same document, to other documents, or to a website that contains a source document for a citation.

INFO

Consult Local Rule 10(e)(7) for guidance on the form of proposed orders.

See Local Rule 10(e)(7) for guidance on the form of proposed orders.

INFOCivil cases

Other parties may designate additional deposition portions by highlighting them in a different color.

Other parties may offer other portions of the deposition by highlighting them, using a different color.

INFO

Do not attach stickers to CDs; write directly on CD for identification.

Do not attach stickers to the CD. You may write on the CD itself for identification purposes.