Friday, January 17, 2014

St. Patrick's Day Treat: Mandatory E-filing in the 1st DCA


Free training offered before rollout of mandatory e-filing in First Appellate District



SAN FRANCISCO—In anticipation of mandatory electronic filing in the Court of Appeal for the First Appellate District, the court will offer free training sessions to the legal community on January 31, 2013.

The First Appellate District is the first appellate court in the state to implement mandatory electronic filing. As of March 17, 2014, all civil filings must be submitted to the court through an electronic filing system (TrueFiling) developed in partnership with vendor ImageSoft, Inc. See Local Rule 16. As of April 14, 2014, e-filing will also be mandated for all criminal and juvenile matters. E-filing through the TrueFiling system will be required for all attorneys, unless an exemption is granted. Self-represented litigants are exempt from the rule, although they may choose to file electronically. The e-filing system will allow electronic submission of documents to the court on a 24 hour basis.
“We are pleased to be able to take the initiative in implementing a system that will immediately benefit our own court, and will ultimately benefit all other appellate districts in the state, as well as our Supreme Court,” said Administrative Presiding Justice William McGuiness. “We are grateful for the cooperation and assistance we have received from the bar in preparing for this major change.”
The January 31st training sessions will take place in the Milton Marks Auditorium on the lower level of 455 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, with alternative sessions available at either 10:00 AM or at 1:30 PM. Attendance of law office support staff is welcome and encouraged.  Those wanting to attend either session should register at:  E-filing.Course@jud.ca.gov., providing the following information: 1) name and job title of those registering; 2) professional affiliation; and 3) first preference for the time slot. You will be notified if your first preference is not available.
“We look forward to the initiation of e-filing and to working with the bar in training sessions like these to prepare for it,” said First District Clerk/Administrator Diana Herbert. “E-filing is an important step in our continuing efforts to increase our efficiency, to modernize our processes and to make access to our court more convenient for the bar and for the public.”

Additional information on e-filing can be found on the First Appellate District’s website and at: http://www.truefiling.com/documentation/adminguide.pdf. Law firm registration for e-filing will be available starting March 10, 2014 at https://www.truefiling.com. Please check the court’s website in early March for any further information or updates regarding the registration process.