Eastern District of Pennsylvania Electronic Filing Rules

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Applies to

Public documents

Counsel are required to file all attorney documents directly by using the court's Electronic Case Filing (ECF) system or with the Office of the Clerk of Court. If counsel file public documents, then counsel shall submit and upload the documents directly to the case docket by using ECF.

Summary: Attorneys must file all documents directly via the court's ECF system (public documents uploaded directly to the docket) or with the Office of the Clerk of Court.

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Applies to

Attorney documents

As discussed in General Matters, Counsel are required to file all attorney documents directly by using the court’s Electronic Case Filing (ECF) system or with the Office of the Clerk of Court. If counsel file public documents, then counsel shall submit and upload the documents directly to the case docket by using ECF.

Summary: Criminal-case counsel must file all attorney documents via the court's ECF system or with the Clerk of Court, and public documents must be uploaded directly to the docket through ECF.

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Required

Always ?

Applies to

Attorney documents

In addition, counsel are required to manage, file, and serve all attorney documents. Counsel SHALL NOT rely upon or expect any member of chambers staff to copy, scan, print, file, or serve any attorney documents or submissions, before or after any court proceeding.

Summary: Counsel must manage, file, and serve all of their own documents and may not rely on chambers staff to copy, scan, print, file, or serve anything before or after proceedings.

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Pursuant to this Court’s filing procedures, counsel SHALL NOT rely upon or expect chambers staff to file any attorney documents. The attorneys must file their own memoranda, motions, and other materials directly to ECF or with the Clerk of Court.

Summary: Attorneys must file their own memoranda, motions, and other materials directly through ECF or with the Clerk of Court and may not rely on chambers staff to file documents.

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Applies to

Notice of appearance ?

All entries of appearances must be properly filed to the case docket on ECF prior to appearing in the courtroom for any proceeding.

Summary: Attorneys must file their entry of appearance on the case docket via ECF before appearing in the courtroom for any proceeding.

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Civil cases

Applies to

Substantive communication ?

Any communication addressing a substantive issue should also be filed on ECF, and it should be self-evident that no counsel should seek to engage in advocacy during any ex parte contact with any member of the judge's staff.

Summary: Communications addressing substantive issues must also be filed on ECF, and advocacy during ex parte contacts with the judge's staff is prohibited.

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Civil cases

Applies to

State court motion ?

If there is a pending motion in state court, the moving party shall separately docket the motion in this Court. 28 U.S.C. § 1447(c). Any motion not docketed in this Court shall be deemed withdrawn.

Summary: In removed cases, motions pending in state court must be separately docketed in this Court, and any motion not docketed in this Court is deemed withdrawn.

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Any lawyer admitted pro hac vice must register for the Court’s CM/ECF system within seven days of the Order.

Summary: Lawyers admitted pro hac vice must register for the Court’s CM/ECF system within seven days of the admission order.

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Applies to

Settlement conference summary ?

The summaries are not to be filed with the Clerk's Office.

Summary: Settlement conference summaries must not be filed with the Clerk's Office.

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Applies to

Stipulation

Counsel should file any stipulations needing Court approval on the court's Electronic Case Filing (ECF) system.

Summary: Stipulations needing Court approval should be filed on the court's ECF system.

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Applies to

Exhibits and witness lists

In addition, counsel should electronically file the exhibits and witness lists through ECF or provide courtesy copies of these materials to chambers staff and opposing counsel via email.

Summary: Counsel should e-file exhibits and witness lists through ECF, or alternatively provide courtesy copies to chambers staff and opposing counsel via email.

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Lastly, the attorneys of record are reminded to maintain current contact information in their respective ECF user accounts. All attorney contact information displayed on the docket must be updated as needed.

Summary: Attorneys of record must maintain current contact information in their ECF user accounts and update all contact information displayed on the docket as needed.

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Civil cases

Applies to

Brief

Counsel are encouraged to post searchable versions of their briefs to ECF.

Summary: Counsel are encouraged (not required) to post searchable versions of their briefs to ECF.

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When submitting exhibits via ECF, parties should submit each exhibit as a separate document on the CM/ECF system, rather than as a single file. If Judge Wolson receives a filing with a single document marked “Exhibits,” he will strike the filing. In addition, when parties submit exhibits via ECF, they must give each document a name identifying the document. Thus, it is not sufficient to label a file “Exhibit A.” Instead, the name should be “Contract,” “Declaration of John Smith,” or some other reference that permits Judge Wolson to identify what the exhibit is without having to open the file.

Summary: Exhibits filed via ECF must be separate documents with identifying names (not generic labels like “Exhibit A”); single “Exhibits” files will be struck.

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Any lawyer admitted pro hac vice must register for the Court’s CM/ECF system within seven days of the Order. If a lawyer fails to register, Judge Wolson will sua sponte cancel the pro hac admission. Judge Wolson will not mail orders to lawyers admitted pro hac vice who do not register for CM/ECF.

Summary: Lawyers admitted pro hac vice must register for the Court’s CM/ECF system within seven days of the admission order, or their pro hac admission will be cancelled and orders will not be mailed to them.

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Applies to

Joint status report ?

Parties must submit that report to Judge Wolson via email. The parties must use Judge Wolson’s sample Rule 26(f) form that will be attached to the order scheduling the Rule 16 conference.

Summary: Joint Rule 26(f) status reports must be submitted to Judge Wolson via email using the provided sample form.

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Applies to

Stipulation, proposed order ?

Contrary to Local Civil Rule 5.1.2(9), parties must email all stipulations and proposed orders to Chambers rather than filing them on the docket.

Summary: Parties must email all stipulations and proposed orders to Chambers instead of filing them on the court docket.

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Applies to

Brief

Counsel must post searchable versions of their briefs to the CM/ECF system.

Summary: Attorneys must file searchable briefs on the CM/ECF electronic system.

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Judge Hodge requires all counseled parties to use Electronic Case Filing (“ECF”). Proposed orders should be attached to corresponding motions or memoranda of law. Submission of pleadings, motions, or other filings to Chambers by any method other than ECF is not permitted. Except as expressly provided in Section I.C. Stipulations (above), the Court will not act on any submission that has not been docketed.

Summary: All counseled parties must use ECF; proposed orders attached to motions; no Chambers submissions except via ECF; court won't act on non-docketed submissions.

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Applies to

Rule 26(f) report

The parties must file on ECF (unless leave of Court is requested) and email to Chambers a Rule 26(f) report using the template provided on Judge Hodge’s website at least seven (7) days before the Rule 16 conference.

Summary: Parties must file Rule 26(f) reports on ECF unless leave of court is requested.

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Applies to

Cja voucher ?

Counsel shall submit any vouchers for CJA funds in the eVoucher system.

Summary: Counsel must submit CJA vouchers via the eVoucher system.

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Applies to

Proposed jury instructions and verdict form

In addition to filing the proposed jury instructions and verdict form on the Court’s docket, the parties must e-mail Word versions of the documents to Chambers_of_Magistrate_Judge_Arteaga@paed.uscourts.gov.

Summary: Proposed jury instructions and verdict form must be filed on the Court’s docket.

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Civil cases

Applies to

Proposed discovery plan

The Proposed Discovery Plan must be filed on ECF.

Summary: Proposed Discovery Plan must be filed electronically on ECF.

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Civil cases

Counsel are reminded that all submissions given directly to Judge Brody in the courtroom or chambers must also be filed by counsel with the Clerk of the Court or on ECF to assure proper docketing.

Summary: Any submission given directly to the judge must also be filed with the Clerk or on ECF.

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Civil cases

All counsel participating in the conference must be registered on ECF.

Summary: Counsel must be registered on ECF to participate in the conference.