Making Synapses · Bringing Knowledge to Mankind
Court & LawE-Filing and Online Court Records
Twenty flashcards on how US federal courts already run online: filing with CM/ECF and reading case records on PACER.
Free to startYour progress here is temporary and is lost when you close this page. Install Making Synapses free to keep it, with spaced repetition.
20 cards
- What is CM/ECF?
- Case Management/Electronic Case Files: the federal Judiciary's system for filing case documents such as pleadings, motions and petitions online.
- Who uses CM/ECF most often?
- Attorneys, U.S. Trustees and bankruptcy trustees; some courts also let bankruptcy claimants and self-represented litigants file.
- What does a person need to file a document in CM/ECF?
- A PACER account plus special filing access issued by the individual court.
- When did CM/ECF roll out in each type of federal court?
- Bankruptcy courts in early 2001, district courts in May 2002, appellate courts in 2005.
- How big is CM/ECF?
- Over 41 million cases and 500 million documents, with more than 700,000 attorneys filing electronically.
- When can registered attorneys file online?
- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at the court's option, with no added filing fees.
- What is the Notice of Electronic Filing?
- An email sent right after each filing to the filer and all registered participants, with links to the document and the docket.
- Which file format does CM/ECF accept?
- Only PDF, because it keeps pagination, formatting and fonts on any computer.
- How does CM/ECF check that filed documents stay unchanged?
- One program verifies each PDF as it is filed; another runs at preset times to confirm nothing changed.
- Which personal details must filers redact?
- All but the last four digits of a Social Security or account number, the month and day of birth, and all but a minor's initials.
- How does CM/ECF remind attorneys to redact?
- At login they must check a box confirming they read the notice and followed the redaction rules.
- What must an attorney have to file electronically in a federal court?
- Admission to practice in that court and registration to e-file with that same court.
- How much does PACER charge to view documents?
- $0.10 per page, with no more than $3 for any one document.
- Which PACER charges have no maximum?
- Searches, even ones that find no matches, and reports that are not tied to one case.
- How much does a court audio file cost on PACER?
- $2.40 per audio file, provided as an .mp3.
- When are PACER fees waived?
- When a user spends $30 or less on court records in a quarter.
- When is PACER access free?
- For a party's one free copy from a filing notice, at any federal courthouse, and for court opinions, which are always free.
- How long after a hearing do transcripts appear on PACER?
- 90 days after they are produced.
- What is the PACER Case Locator?
- A nationwide index that searches all federal court case records in one place.
- How do NextGen and CurrentGen CM/ECF courts differ for registration?
- NextGen courts use one PACER account; CurrentGen courts require registering with each court separately.
Official sources
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (uscourts.gov)
Electronic Filing (CM/ECF)
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (uscourts.gov)
FAQs: Case Management / Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF)
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (PACER)
File a Case Frequently Asked Questions
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (PACER)
PACER Pricing: How fees work
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (PACER)
Non-attorney Filers for CM/ECF
Making Synapses is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by the NCBE, the American Bar Association, the Virginia State Bar or any jurisdiction. NextGen, UBE and MBE are trademarks of their respective owners and are named only to describe the exams.