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Effective
January 1, 2010, use of the court’s electronic filing system (CM/ECF) is mandatory for all
attorneys filing in this Court, unless counsel is granted an exemption. Use of the CM/ECF
system is voluntary for all non-incarcerated pro se parties without counsel.
If the Java test results do not appear you either do not have Java installed or it is not enabled on your browser. Macintosh users should click here for further information. Tell us what you think about the Appellate CM/ECF Application.
ECF Login:
Attorneys who have already registered as ECF Filers and completed the training requirements may access the electronic filing system here.
Information Available on This Page
CM/ECF is an electronic document filing system which allows attorneys and parties to file documents from their home or office 24 hours a day and provides round-the-clock access to filed documents via the Internet, with the ability to download and print directly from the docket. CM/ECF will electronically serve documents on other ECF Filers and will automatically notify ECF Filers via e-mail of any case activity. The Administrative
Order, adopted by the court on September 14, 2009 to become effective on October 13,
2009, sets forth rules governing electronic filing. Among other things, these rules address which documents can and
cannot be filed electronically. Case-initiating documents filed in the court of appeals, motions to seal, sealed and
other non-public documents, and CJA compensation vouchers must be filed in paper form. Briefs must be filed first in
electronic form and then, once found to be compliant, in paper form. Appendices must be filed only in paper form. ECF
Filers should familiarize themselves with the Order (and the rules contained therein) before filing a document
electronically.
To file documents electronically in the CM/ECF System, ECF Filers must register with PACER
for an Appellate ECF Filer Account by going to
Pacer
Service Center.
Registration is limited to attorneys and non-incarcerated pro se litigants. An attorney
must be a member of the bar of this court in order to register. Those filers who have
already registered for an Appellate ECF Filer Account for purposes of electronic noticing
do not need to re-register. The court will enable your ECF Filer status as of
October 13, 2009, provided that you are a member of this court’s bar. For more details,
please see the CM/ECF User’s Guide.
The length of time required to process registrations will depend on the number of pending requests. An attorney who needs to file a motion for emergency relief, and is unsure whether his registration request will be processed in time, should contact the clerk’s office as soon as possible to make special arrangements. Click here for technical requirements for using the electronic filing system.
To view and receive documents electronically in the CM/ECF System, individuals must register with PACER for an
Appellate ECF Account by going to Pacer Service Center.
It is important to understand that under no circumstance will registering for a non-filing account allow you to file
documents electronically in this Court. You will only
be allowed to receive electronic notification of docket activity in cases of interest and view docket reports and
electronically filed documents. For additional information click here.
Persons who register to receive electronic notification should be aware that, by doing so, they automatically set their notice preference in CM/ECF to email in all cases in which they are involved, either as passive viewer or active participant. So, by registering for a non-filing account, you are consenting to electronic service, and it is your responsibility to keep your email address updated. Please note, party filings in social security and immigration cases are not remotely available to members of the public via PACER. Although you may request notice of docket activity in social security and immigration cases through CM/ECF’s Notice for Cases of Interest utility, you will only be able to view Court orders, judgments and opinions. The length of time required to process registrations will depend on the number of pending requests. Information on accessing CM/ECF’s Notice for Cases of Interest utility can be found in the CM/ECF User Guide.
ECF Filers are required to complete certain mandatory electronic learning modules (“ELMs”)
before filing a document electronically. The mandatory ELMs consist of two series of lessons. Each series of lessons takes
about 30-35 minutes to review. The first series of lessons demonstrate how to file an appearance form, a motion,
a response and a brief. The second series of lessons provide filing tips and advice on how to avoid common errors.
The third series of lessons is for ECF court reporter filers only. Please ensure the volume on your computer is turned up as the lessons have instructional audio. Flash Player 8.0 or higher is required.
ECF Filers are also required to familiarize themselves with the CM/ECF system before filing a
document electronically by reviewing the
CM/ECF User’s Guide.
The CM/ECF User’s Guide contains a wealth of detailed information to help you learn how to file documents
electronically, including the following important sections:
Most questions can be resolved by reviewing the CM/ECF User’s Guide and/or the Mandatory ELMs,
or the other materials on the court’s website. If you have consulted those materials and still need help, you may
contact the Clerk’s Office during our regular business hours (8:30 am to 5 pm Eastern Standard Time) by
calling the ECF Help Desk at 617-748-9200, or you may e-mail the ECF Help Desk at
CA01ECFHelpDesk@ca1.uscourts.gov.
If you send an e-mail, please include all relevant information including case
number(s), filer’s name, error message text, and any other information that can assist us in answering your
question. You can expect a reply from the court during the court’s regular business hours.
For general guidelines on briefs and appendices, see the
Briefs and Appendices section of the Forms and Notices page.
Although appendices must be filed only in paper form, the CM/ECF system may be helpful in creating appendices. For more information, see the Instructions for Creating an Appendix using the create Appendix Function.
The First Circuit is not supporting a separate link for
Macintosh users but is rather requesting that they install Mac OS X Snow Leopard (version 10.6 or higher), an
inexpensive software. If you are unable to install Snow Leopard, please contact the ECF Help Desk for assistance.
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