PACER passwords

Important PACER Announcement: Updated Password Standards

Beginning August 17, 2026, PACER users who have not updated their password in the last 18 months will be randomly selected to update their password to comply with the updated password standards. The new password must:

• Be 14-45 characters in length.
• Contain at least one lowercase letter, one uppercase letter, and one special character.
• Not contain any part of your first name, last name, username, or email address.

Passwords will also have to be updated every 180 days.

See full announcement here.
Please consider updating your ECF password as soon as possible.
To change your password, login to Manage My Account. Under Settings, click Change Password.

3d Cir. program to check briefs

On January 5, 2026, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit will implement a program that checks Opening, Response and Reply briefs for compliance pursuant to Federal and Local rules.

 The program will run in the background once a brief is uploaded in CM/ECF using either the Check PDF Document option via the Utilities menu or when docketing in cases using the Opening, Response and Reply brief events. Users are strongly encouraged to check their briefs using the "Check PDF document" utility before docketing an Opening, Response or Reply brief event. The utility does not "lock" a case or prevent others from filing. A template including all required sections for principal briefs will be provided, and its use is strongly recommended to avoid non-compliance orders. Please note that documents filed electronically must be in PDF text format - not scanned to PDF (See L.A.R. 113.3(b)). Detected deficiencies will not prevent users from completing an event, but correcting deficiencies before completion is strongly recommended to avoid non-compliance orders.

Deficiencies will be identified as Critical or Minor:
--Critical deficiencies will likely cause the brief to be rejected and require refiling.
--Minor deficiencies are presented for consideration and may not cause the brief to be rejected.

It is possible the program will detect deficiencies when none exist (e.g. additional text or characters in section headers, graphics, etc.). Please help us improve the program by emailing feedback to the CM/ECF Help Desk at ecf_helpdesk@ca3.uscourts.gov

E-filing rules amendments

California Supreme Court Adopts Amendments to E-Filing Rules

The Supreme Court of California on Wednesday adopted amendments to its electronic filing (e-filing) rules. These amendments are effective immediately and formalize and clarify the court's e-filing guidelines, which the court adopted at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The court continues to require electronic filing, through the TrueFiling platform, of all documents filed in all proceedings before the court, regardless of case type. E-filing remains voluntary for self-represented litigants and trial courts, and any litigant may continue to request an exemption from the e-filing requirement. The amendments also make conforming and technical changes to the e-filing rules.

California Supreme Court E-filing Rules as Amended August 13 2025.pdf

9th Cir. computer problems today

August 11, 2025, Ninth Circuit Announcement: Users may experience an issue downloading ACMS dockets and filings from PACER or NDA emails. The Court is aware of the issue and is working to fix it. Filers may email efilerhelp@ca9.uscourts.gov for assistance.

6th Cir. "Brief QC" in cm/ecf

Announcement of New Brief QC Functionality in CM/ECF

Effective Date - Monday, June 2, 2025

The Sixth Circuit Clerk's Office is pleased to announce the implementation of a new service, Brief QC, effective June 2, 2025. This innovative feature is designed to proactively identify potential non-compliance issues in appellate briefs prior to formal filing. Brief QC automatically assesses submissions for adherence to the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure and the Local Rules of the Sixth Circuit. This functionality enables counsel to address any identified deficiencies, reducing the risk of potential dismissals or other procedural issues.

In the preceding year, the court's issuance of over 700 deficiency notices created a considerable administrative burden for the Clerk's Office and practitioners. To mitigate this, the Sixth Circuit has adopted a customized iteration of a brief quality control program originally developed by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Following a period of internal testing and validation, Brief QC is now available as a final quality assurance tool. Upon initiating a CM/ECF brief filing event and attaching the relevant document, the system will automatically initiate a review for formatting and other common errors. Upon completion of the review, should any discrepancies be detected, the "Document Check Result" screen will be displayed, detailing the noted errors. Counsel will have the option to either "Cancel" the docketing event, thereby exiting CM/ECF to facilitate necessary corrections to the brief, or to proceed with filing the brief "as is" by selecting the "Continue" option. Selecting "Cancel" will terminate the docketing process, and no record of the transaction will be entered on the docket sheet. Conversely, selecting "Continue" will finalize the brief's submission.  We encourage practitioners to utilize Brief QC to identify non-compliance issues. While acknowledging that exigent deadlines may require filing briefs with noted issues, please be aware that all submissions will still be thoroughly reviewed by court staff for full rule compliance, and issues beyond Brief QC's detection may still be identified. Therefore, even if a brief successfully passes the Brief QC review, the court retains the discretion to issue a deficiency notice and require subsequent corrections. For further information, contact: Office of the Clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 513-564-7000.

E-filing program

 CLA's Litigation Section Committee on Appellate Courts presents

Webinar: Navigating Appellate E-Filing: From Errors to Excellence

May 22 @ 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Special low price! 1.5 Hours MCLE; 1.5 Legal Specialization in Appellate Law; 1.5 Technology in The Practice of Law  

Join us for the MCLE program, Navigating Appellate E-Filing: From Errors to Excellence, where we tackle the most common e-filing errors that can derail your case. Our panelists Eva McClintock, Clerk/Executive Officer, Second District Court of Appeal; Beth Robbins Assistant Clerk/Executive Officer, First District Court of Appeal; Jennifer Hansen, California Appellate Project; and Julia C. Shear Kushner, Law Office of Leslie Ellen Shear, will provide practical tips and solutions to streamline your appellate e-filing process, ensuring compliance and efficiency.

Whether you’re new to appellate practice or need a refresher, this session is essential for mastering the complexities of electronic filing. Don’t let avoidable mistakes hold you back—register today!

Register Here

Non-Member Price: $35.00
Member Price: $25.00

• Jennifer Hansen
• Eva McClintock
• Julia Claire Shear Kushner
• Beth Robbins

LASC expands e-service to appeals docs

 

SUPERIOR COURT OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY TO EXPAND ELECTRONIC SERVICE TO APPEALS DOCUMENTS IN LIMITED AND UNLIMITED CIVIL CASES BEGINNING FEB. 10, 2025

 

On Feb. 10, 2025, the Superior Court of Los Angeles County will expand its phased implementation of electronic service (eService) to include appeals documents in Limited and Unlimited Civil cases. The Court will use eService to transmit, deliver, or serve required appeals documents from the Court in these litigation types. This expansion builds on the Court’s phased implementation of eService, which began in December 2024 with Juvenile Dependency appeals and later included Family Law, Probate, and Mental Health appeals. Represented parties will be required to accept eService, while self-represented parties will have the option to receive electronic notices. eService enables attorneys and self-represented litigants to receive case documents electronically from the Court, streamlining case progression and offering the following benefits: ·    Efficiency and Timeliness: Attorneys will be automatically enrolled in eService, which will provide faster notification and document delivery. Self-represented litigants who opt  for eService will also experience quicker service than traditional  mailing methods. ·    Convenience and Flexibility: Case documents can be securely accessed electronically from any location, provided users maintain an up-to-date email address for eService. ·    Enhanced Security: Secure links with multi-factor authentication ensure document integrity. ·    Automatic Proof of Service: eService provides automatic proof of service for recipients. Information About the Phased Implementation of eService As part of the next phase of eService implementation, the Superior Court of Los Angeles County will begin sending electronic notices for appeals documents in Limited and Unlimited Civil cases starting Feb. 10, 2025. In the coming months, full implementation of eService for all Family Law, Probate, Mental Health, and Civil documents is expected to roll out and be completed by July 1, 2025. What to Know About eService Under California Rule of Court 2.251, electronic service is equivalent to service by mail, express mail, overnight delivery or fax transmission. Attorneys are required to accept eService, while self-represented litigants may opt-in by filing a consent form. eService from the Court will have the same legal effect as service by mail. A party who is served a document by the Court via eService will be provided an additional two court days under Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) 101.6(a)(3) to respond. Express consent is required for self-represented litigants who choose eService. Consent may be provided by filing a Consent to Electronic Service and Notice of Electronic Service Address form. Please see below for more details on eService:  Opting In: Self-represented litigants may opt-in for eService by filing a Consent to Electronic Service and Notice of Electronic Service Address (EFS-005-CV) form. eService Lists: The Court will maintain an eService list for each case type, including the email addresses of litigants who consent to eService.  Maintaining eService Addresses: Any changes to an eService address must be promptly updated by the litigant or attorney to ensure seamless communication. Parties may submit a completed MC-040 form to update their email address of record at any time.   Service Completion: Rule 2.251 outlines that service by electronic notification is deemed complete per Code of Civil Procedure section 1010.6 when the electronic notification of service of the document is sent.  Secure Access: All eService notices from the Court will be sent from CourtNotify@lacourt.org and include a secure link to access served documents, with a time-sensitive code to ensure security. Access will require multi-factor authentication to ensure security and integrity.   Additional Resources: The following resources are available to assist court users with the phased rollout of eService: ·    Video tutorial on eService. For questions or technical assistance with eService, court users are encouraged to call 213-830-0400.

E-filing program

CLA's Litigation Section offers 

Webinar: Navigating Appellate E-Filing: From Errors to Excellence

February 27 @ 12:00 PM | REGISTER HERE

Special low price! 1.5 Hours MCLE; 1.5 Legal Specialization in Appellate Law

Join us for the MCLE program, Navigating Appellate E-Filing: From Errors to Excellence, where we tackle the most common e-filing errors that can derail your case. Our panelists Eva McClintock, Clerk/Executive Officer, Second District Court of Appeal; Beth Robbins Assistant Clerk/Executive Officer, First District Court of Appeal; and Julia C. Shear Kushner, Law Office of Leslie Ellen Shear, will provide practical tips and solutions to streamline your appellate e-filing process, ensuring compliance and efficiency.

E-CTs & E-RTs to be required in the 3d

Hooray! Here's some more movement away from paper:

Effective February 24, 2025, the 3d District's Local Rule 5, on Electronic Filing, will be amended to "require" (rather than merely "authorize and encourage") superior courts in the District to provide electronic clerk's and reporter's transcripts ("to the extent a superior court is able to do so").

LASC AD goes to e-filing

MANDATORY ELECTRONIC FILING FOR REPRESENTED PARTIES IN LASC APPELLATE DIVISION CASES EFFECTIVE DEC. 16   Virtual Information Session for Attorneys, Legal Professionals and the Public to be Held Nov. 20    Effective Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, the Appellate Division of the Los Angeles Superior Court will implement mandatory electronic filing (efiling) in Appellate Division cases. Pursuant to General Order 2024 GEN-014-00, efiling of Appellate Division documents will be mandatory for all attorneys in Appellate Division cases, including criminal misdemeanor appeals, limited civil appeals and infraction appeals. Self-represented litigants will also have the option to efile in these areas but will not be mandated to do so.   Efiling provides efficiency and enhances the Court’s ability to maintain complete and easily accessible electronic records. Additional information about the Court’s Electronic Filing Service Providers (EFSP) may be found here.   Webinar Details: Informational Session on Nov. 20   The Court will offer a virtual informational session on Wednesday, Nov. 20 for attorneys, legal professionals and the public. Detailed information and an opportunity to submit questions during the webinar will be available.   WHAT: Webinar to Provide Attorneys, Legal Professionals and the Public Information on Efiling for Appellate Division cases.   HOSTED BY: Anaruth Gonzalez, Director of Courtroom Support, Superior Court of Los Angeles County.   WHEN: 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 20.   HOW TO JOIN: Click here to join via Microsoft Teams.   A recording of the information session and a Frequently Asked Questions document will be posted on the Court’s website after the meeting. General information about registering with an EFSP, exempt documents, common rejection reasons and more will be provided.

Phishing Warning!

This morning, many district courts, including the Southern District of California, are receiving reports of spoofed, phishing CM/ECF notices appearing to be system generated and asking the recipient to respond. If you receive a questionable CM/ECF notice, please do not click on links or open attachments. Instead, check the notice against the docket in PACER.

There has been nationwide reporting of fake Notices of Electronic Filing (NEFs) being sent to attorneys and law firms across the country. These fake NEFs are phishing attempts to convince recipients to respond back to the emails. Once a recipient replies to the email they are sent a follow-on email containing a link to access a document that leads the user to a malicious website. Please be sure to always validate cases and case documentation through CM/ECF only, and to never download any attachments or click any links from unofficial or questionable sources.

U.S. Courts News has Electronic Filing Scam Targets Attorneys -- Attorneys across the country are being targeted with fake electronic filing notifications, in which emails purporting to come from the federal Judiciary’s Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system lead recipients to a malicious website with computer viruses.

[The Recorder has Scammers Target Lawyers Across Country With Fake Court Notices]

In similar news, Law360 has Wash. Courts' Website Goes Dark After 'Unauthorized Activity'

• The Washington state courts' website was down for a second day Tuesday following an outage officials attributed to "unauthorized activity," though few details were available.
• The Washington State Bar Association published a statement on its website saying the state Court of Appeals' e-filing portal "is currently experiencing system unavailability, and unfortunately, we do not have an estimated time for restoration."