# Presentation: 543856

## CM/ECF Training

**CM/ECF Training**
- Attorneys, Paralegals, & Staff

## Materials

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Materials**
- (Included in your Folder)

- Copy of PowerPoint Slides
- Features/FAQs Flyer
- Information on Training Database
- Pacer Brochure
- User Manual
- Class Evaluation Form

## What is CM/ECF ?

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**What is CM/ECF ?**

- A comprehensive case management system that will allow courts to maintain electronic case files and offer electronic filing over the Internet.
- Courts can make all case information immediately available electronically through the Internet.

## Features & Benefits

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Features & Benefits**

- Remote access for filing, noticing, and document viewing from anywhere (home or office)
- 24-hour access
- Automatic email notice of case activity when documents are filed by counsel or the court

## Features & Benefits

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Features & Benefits**

- Ability to download and print documents directly from the court system
- Concurrent access to case files by multiple parties
- Easy to use—based on Standard Internet Browser

## Getting Started

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Getting Started**

- Hardware and Software Requirements
- Portable Document Format (PDF)
- PACER Registration
- ECF Registration

## Hardware/Software

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Hardware/Software**

- Personal computer with a standard operating system such as Microsoft Windows or Macintosh
- Adobe Acrobat version 5.x or higher (reader & writer), or similar software capable of converting documents from a word processor format to PDF format
- An Internet provider with access speed of at least 56K

## Hardware/Software

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Hardware/Software**

- A compatible internet browser (128 bit encryption recommended) such as Internet Explorer version 5.5 and Netscape browser version 7.x or greater
- A scanner to convert paper documents that are not, or cannot be, prepared using a word processing program

## 	All documents must be in PDF format for filing with the Court’s ECF System; i.e. electronically converted PDF documents created from word processing software (WordPerfect, MS Word) using Adobe Acrobat or similar software.

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**PDF: Short for Portable Document Format.  It captures formatting information from the document and after submission, retains its appearance, including paging, fonts and formatting.**

- 	All documents must be in PDF format for filing with the Court’s ECF System; i.e. electronically converted PDF documents created from word processing software (WordPerfect, MS Word) using Adobe Acrobat or similar software.

## PACER Registration

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**PACER Registration**
- (_**P**_ublic _**A**_ccess to _**C**_ourt _**E**_lectronic _**R**_ecords)

- Filing** **Users must have a PACER account in order to view filed documents (except the one “free look”) and to use the Query and Report features of the ECF system.  There is a fee of .08 cents per page not to exceed $2.40 (or the equivalent of 30 pages) to access any single document.
- PACER and CM/ECF are different.  PACER permits a user to _view _documents electronically and CM/ECF permits a user to _file_ documents electronically.
- PACER Service Center: 1-800-676-6856 or register online at: www.pacer.psc.uscourts.gov.

## ECF Registration

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**ECF Registration**
- (_**E**_lectronic _**C**_ase _**F**_iling)

- How?  On the Court’s web site at: _[www.tnwd.uscourts.gov](http://www.tnwd.uscourts.gov/)_
- User login and password will be issued and sent via email  to counsel; the password may be customized after receipt
- Registering for an ECF account constitutes consent to electronic service of all documents
- The use of the login and password for filing documents represents the user’s signature on those documents for all purposes
- Protect the security of the login and password

## Privacy Policy

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Privacy Policy**
*www.privacy.uscourts.gov*

- The Judicial Conference of the United States adopted a policy
- on privacy and public access to electronic case files.  The
- policy states in part that personal data identifiers must be
- redacted from documents filed electronically.  For civil &
- criminal cases, they are:
- Social Security numbers to the last four digits
- Financial account numbers to the last four digits
- Names of minor children to the initials
- Dates of birth to the year
- Home addresses to city and state (criminal cases ONLY)

## Privacy Policy

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Privacy Policy**
*www.privacy.uscourts.gov*

- 	Exercise caution when filing other documents:
- (1) any personal identifying number, such as a driver’s license number;
- (2) medical records, treatment & diagnosis;
- (3) employment history;
- (4) individual financial information;
- (5) proprietary or trade secret information;
- (6) information regarding an individual’s cooperation with the government;
- (7) information regarding the victim of any criminal activity;
- (8) national security information; and
- (9) sensitive security information as described in 49 U.S.C.§ 114(s) (Aviation and Transportation Security Act)

## Signatures on Documents

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Signatures on Documents**

- Electronically filed documents shall set forth the Filing User’s name, address, telephone number and BPR registration number.  In addition, the Filing User’s name shall be typed in the space where the signature would otherwise appear preceded by the symbol “s/”; i.e.,
- 	s/John Allen Smith
- 	John Allen Smith, BPR #111222
- 	Smith & Smith
- 	2 Second Street
- 	Nashville, TN 37203
- 	(615) 555-1212

## Certification of Service

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Certification of Service**

- The Certificate of Service should include the names and addresses for all persons served, whether electronically or by mail.
- CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
- 	The undersigned hereby certifies that a true and correct copy of the foregoing document was forwarded via first class U.S. mail, postage pre-paid, to John Smith, Inmate No. 222222, Northwest Correctional Institution, 960 State Route 212, Tiptonville, TN 38079, and by electronic means via the Court’s electronic filing system to John Smith, Smith & Smith, 2 Second Street, Nashville, TN 37203.
- 						_s/John Allen Smith_

## (901) 495-1505

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Local Help Desk Phone Number**

## Electronic Filing and Noticing will be “MANDATORY”

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Electronic Filing and Noticing will be “MANDATORY”**

**January 1, 2006**

- This applies to civil and criminal cases active as of January 1, 2006, and cases filed on or after January 1st.  Scanning of any previous cases will be determined on a case-by-case basis upon approval by the court.

## Proposed Documents

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Proposed Documents**

- This is a split transaction:
- Electronically file your Motion thru ECF
- Email your proposed document (orders, amended complaint etc.) in a word processing format to a designated email box for that Judge’s chambers
-     [Boxes will be available on the website at a later date]

## Amendments & Exhibits

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Amendments & Exhibits**

- RULE 1
- A memorandum will be an attachment to your motion.
- RULE 2
- A short but specific description of the contents of each document being attached must be entered, e.g. Exhibit 1 – Deft John Smith’s Affidavit.
- RULE 3
- Exhibits – check the category box and name the exhibits in the description.  Exhibits from a third party will have to be scanned.

## Document Size

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Document Size**

- A single attachment may not exceed _**10MB **_(10,000 KB) in its PDF form.  Generally, this is equivalent of a 200 page word processing document converted to PDF, or 100 scanned pages at 150 dpi.

## Filing Initial Documents

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Filing Initial Documents**

- New complaint – you will file complaint with cover sheet and summons as attachments into a shell Case No. 06-zz-9999 in ECF.
- Payment will be made by credit card you have on file.
- You will then receive a Notice of Electronic Filing with the case no., judge assignment and receipt of payment.

## Sealed Documents

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Sealed Documents**

- Documents will continue to be “deemed” sealed.
- Filers will select the events for sealed documents (see Attorney Event Lists).
- Document will remain sealed until such time as the Court enters an Order unsealing it.

## Let’s see how it 

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Let’s see how it **
**works  . . .**

## Docket the following:

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**Docket the following:**

- Complaint
- Motion
- Motion for Summary Judgment
- Memorandum in Support
- Affidavit

## You did it:

**Training – for Attorney’s, Paralegals, & Staff**

**You did it:**

- Questions?  We’re here to help!
- Comments?
- Don’t forget to complete training evaluation form, credit card authorization form and attorney registration form.