What is CM/ECF?
Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) is an automated case management
and electronic docketing system. CM/ECF provides a new, easy-to-use electronic
filing feature that allows registered users to file and view documents
over the Internet, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
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does CM/ECF
begin?
The Board of Judges has adopted
the following resolution:
“That
this Court will implement Case Management and Electronic Case Filing
(CM/ECF), simultaneously on
July 1, 2005. That
the Court will operate as a “paperless” court.
For those parties who will not file electronically, they must provide
disc or scan the documents. The Clerk’s Office will provide scanners
in the Clerk’s Office for parties or counsel to use. The Clerk’s
Office will scan documents for prisoner and pro se litigants.”
Will
training be provided?
Court sponsored training is avaliable. Click here for details.
Are there fees for filing electronically?
There
are no added fees for filing documents over the Internet using
CM/ECF; existing document filing fees do 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.
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How secure is CM/ECF?
CM/ECF has many security features and has passed an evaluation
by the National Security Agency. Access to the system is available
only through a court issued login and password.
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What
advantages do CM/ECF offer?
Through CM/ECF, attorneys are able to file documents from the office,
home or any other location that offers Internet access. Documents
are automatically docketed as part of the filing process and are
immediately available electronically.
CM/ECF also provides the following benefits:
• Automatic e-mail notice of case activity
• Ability to download and print documents directly from the court
system
• Concurrent access to case files by multiple users
• Secure storage of documents
• Reduction in courier fees
• Reduction in paper use
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How does it work?
Filing documents is very easy. Files are saved as portable document
files (PDF) and submitted on the CM/ECF system. Below is a brief
overview of the process:
• Create the document using word processing software.
• Save the document in PDF format.
•
Log onto the Court’s CM/ECF system using a Court issued
login and password.
• Follow the set of prompts to provide information about the case,
party and document to be filed.
• Attach the PDF document and click the submit button to send it
to the Court.
• Save or print the CM/ECF electronic receipt e-mailed from the Court
confirming that the document was filed.
How do I view electronic documents?
Electronic documents are viewed either at public terminals in the
Clerk’s Office or through Public Access to Court Electronic
Records (PACER), a judiciary wide program managed by the PACER
Service Center. To view documents, interested parties must register
by contacting the PACER Service Center at 1-800-676-6856 or http://www.pacer.psc.uscourts.gov
The Judicial
Conference of the United States has established an Electronic Public
Access schedule. The current fee is $.07 per printed page. Attorneys
of record and parties in a case receive one free copy of all documents
filed electronically.
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How
will I sign documents?
The court
will issue logins and passwords. Using your login and password
to file a document is considered to be your signature.
What do I need to use CM/ECF?
• A personal computer running a standard platform such as Windows or
Macintosh
• Word processing software
• Internet access and a browser. The system has been certified with
Netscape and Internet Explorer
• Software to convert documents into PDF
• Scanning equipment may be useful.
Where can I obtain updates and more information on CM/ECF?
Please visit our website at
http://www.pawd.uscourts.gov
CM/ECF is part of the implementation of the following
Mission Statement
of the Court:
The mission of the United States District Court for the Western District
of Pennsylvania is to preserve and enhance the rule of law while
providing an impartial and accessible forum for the just, timely
and economical resolution of legal proceedings within the Court’s
jurisdiction, so as to protect individual rights and liberties, promote
public trust and confidence in the judicial system, and to maintain
judicial independence.
Donetta W. Ambrose, Chief Judge |
