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ECF & PACER

WHAT IS CASE MANAGEMENT/ELECTRONIC CASE FILING?

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia has implemented the federal judiciary’s automated docket and electronic filing system known as Case Management/Electronic Case Filing (CM/ECF). CM/ECF was developed through the Administrative Office of the U. S. Courts (AO) using Internet technology to provide federal courts a modern mechanism for handling information and moving closer to a paperless operating environment. The case management (CM) portion of the system replaces the BANCAP system. Not only is docket information viewable, but most documents and pleadings are viewable in their entirety as Portable Document Format (PDF) files.

HOW IT WORKS:  The electronic case filing (ECF) portion will allow trained attorneys and trustees to file bankruptcy cases and other pleadings over the Internet. ECF accepts documents in PDF. PDF retains the way a document looks - so the pages, fonts, and other formatting are preserved. Filing a document with the court's CM/ECF system is quite easy: 

  • Create the document using word processing software. Save the document using PDF software.
  • Log onto the court’s CM/ECF system, using a court-issued login and password.
  • Follow the set of simple prompts to provide information about the case, party, and document to be filed.
  • Attach the PDF document and submit it to the court for filing (by pressing a submit button).
  • Save or print the CM/ECF electronic receipt e-mailed from the court confirming that the document was filed.

CM/ECF allows attorneys to print case documents on their own office printers - no more pulling files and ordering copies. Docket sheets, claims registers, and many other reports are just keystrokes away with CM/ECF. Users may also opt to receive e-mail notification of filings in cases of interest.

BASIC USER COMPONENTS:

  • Personal computer running a standard platform such as Windows or Macintosh
  • Word processing software
  • Internet access and a browser
  • Software to convert documents into PDF
  • Scanning equipment

FEES:  There are no added fees for filing documents over the Internet in CM/ECF. Existing document filing fees apply. Electronic access to court data is available through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) program. Attorneys and litigants receive one free copy of documents filed electronically in their cases. Additional copies are available for viewing or downloading at seven cents per page. Directed by Congress to fund electronic access through user fees, the judiciary has set the fee at the lowest possible level sufficient to recoup program costs.

SECURITY:   CM/ECF has many security features and has passed an evaluation by the National Security Agency. Access to the system is through the court-issued login and password.

OTHER E-FILING RESOURCES: Portal to individual courts' ECF filing pages.

 

ACCESSING THE NOW UPGRADED NEXTGEN FILING SYSTEM

On March 5, 2018, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia upgraded its Case Management/Electronic Case Filing system (CM/ECF) to the Next Generation of CM/ECF (NextGen). This upgrade provides users with several benefits including Central Sign-On: the ability for e-filing attorneys to access any NextGen court they practice in using one login and password.

To access the upgraded system, you must take the following steps. Your PACER Account is your login, therefore you MUST have your own individual PACER Account. E-filing attorneys will not be able to use shared PACER accounts. Follow steps 1 through 4 below to access the new electronic filing system.

Step 1: Get your own individual PACER account, if you do not already have one. Register for a new PACER account by clicking here: https://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/pscof/regWizard.jsf

If you already have your own PACER account, then go to Step 2.

Step 2: If you have your own individual PACER account and it was created prior to August 11, 2014 (also known as a Legacy account), you must upgrade your account before you can electronically file in a NextGen court. Please see the below video on upgrading your PACER account (a PDF copy has been included for your convenience).  

Upgrading Your PACER Account - Attorneys with E-Filing Privileges

After watching the above video, click here to manage your account: https://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/pscof/login.jsf

Step 3: Note your current CM/ECF login and password. This is the login and password you are currently using. If you do not know your current login and password, please contact our Help Desk Line at: 202-354-3281. 

Step 4: You must link your upgraded PACER account to your CM/ECF account. See instructions here.

 

NextGen Attorney Sessions - Training Materials

February 2018 Presentation