1

Upon opening a new case assigned to a judge listed on Attachment 1, the clerk must enter this

Standing Order. If the plaintiff or petitioner in a civil action is proceeding pro se, the clerk may not distribute

this order unless there is an order for process to issue. If process is ordered to issue, the clerk is directed at

that time to send a copy of this order to the defendant or respondent with the service of the summons or show

cause order. 

Standing Order Designating Case for Enrollment in ECF - Page 1

 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT Revised 09-01-06

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS

DALLAS DIVISION

TO: All Attorneys of Record Appearing in a Case Designated for Enrollment

in the Electronic Case Files System (including Attorneys in pro se cases)

STANDING ORDER1 DESIGNATING CASE FOR ENROLLMENT

IN THE ELECTRONIC CASE FILES “ECF” SYSTEM

The court has determined that this case will be enrolled in the Electronic Case

Files (“ECF”) system as an ECF case. Therefore, it is ordered that all counsel of record

must register as an ECF user within ten days of the date of notice of this order, if

they have not already done so. Only licensed attorneys may submit documents for

electronic filing; therefore, no pro se party (including a prisoner) will be permitted to

register as an ECF user or submit documents electronically. To register, counsel must:

1. Review Miscellaneous Order Number 61;

2. Review the ECF Administrative Procedures Manual;

3. Complete the online attorney tutorial for ECF training;

4. Review the ECF User Guide;

5. Complete the ECF Attorney/User Registration Form and forward it to the

Clerk’s Office; and

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2

If the court initially grants an attorney permission to submit documents for filing on paper, the court

may withdraw that permission at any time during the pendency of a case and require the attorney to re-file

documents electronically using the ECF system. An attorney who is granted permission to submit documents

for filing on paper will be required to include with each paper document a disk or CD-ROM containing an

electronic copy of the paper filed with the court in portable document format (“PDF”).

Standing Order Designating Case for Enrollment in ECF - Page 2

6. Ensure that any attorney granted pro hac vice admission as co-counsel in this

case also registers as an ECF user.

Please note: The designation of this case as an ECF case and the accompanying

requirements are mandatory. Any request seeking leave to be excluded from this

designation must be in the form of a written motion and is subject to a hearing.2

Duty of Initiating Party

to Serve ECF Designation Order upon Opposing Party

It is further ordered that in a civil ECF case, the party initiating the action in this

court must serve a copy of this order on the opposing party(ies) with service of process

or within five days of receipt of this order, whichever is later. If an additional party is

joined in a civil ECF case at a later date, the party joining the additional party is ordered

to serve a copy of this order on the additional party within five days of when the

additional party is joined. 

In a criminal ECF case, it is ordered that the government serve a copy of this

order on defendant’s counsel when defendant’s counsel makes an appearance in the case

on behalf of the defendant. 

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3

A link to the Notice of Electronic Filing and the electronically filed document will be automatically

e-mailed to the filer upon the completion of the electronic filing procedure.

Standing Order Designating Case for Enrollment in ECF - Page 3

Electronic Case Files Requirements

After an attorney is registered as an ECF user, the attorney must submit all

documents for filing in this case using the ECF system. In doing so, counsel must

observe the following directives:

1. ECF Designation: All documents submitted for filing must include the

“ECF” designation in the caption of the case directly beneath the case

number.

2. Governing Documents: The case will be governed, unless otherwise

ordered, by Miscellaneous Order Number 61, the ECF Administrative

Procedures Manual, and the ECF User Guide.

3. Service of Documents upon Non-ECF Users: Service of documents

upon non-ECF users (including pro se litigants) must be effected on paper

in a manner authorized by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.

4. Courtesy Copies (“paper copies” of filings in ECF cases): Each judge

listed on the reference chart included as Attachment 1 to this Standing

Order has specific requirements for courtesy copies. Each courtesy copy

must be marked “Judge’s Copy,” must have a copy of the Notice of

Electronic Filing3

 for that document affixed as the first page, and must be

delivered to the court within three business days of the date of filing of

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Standing Order Designating Case for Enrollment in ECF - Page 4

the original document. The court, in its discretion, may not begin its

consideration of the document until it has received the required courtesy

copy. Furthermore, failure to follow the courtesy copy requirements of the

presiding judge may result in the document being unfiled. If the courtesy

copy is mailed directly to the chambers of the presiding judge, delivery is

complete upon mailing. Hand-deliveries must be made to the clerk’s office

at 1100 Commerce Street, Room 1452, Dallas, Texas 75242, must be

enclosed in a sealed envelope that bears the name of the judge to whom the

courtesy copy is directed, and must identify itself as a “Courtesy Copy.”

The court will not accept hand deliveries brought directly to chambers unless

it specifically instructs a party to do so. Please Note: If this case or any

portion of this case is referred to a United States Magistrate Judge, the

magistrate judge may enter an order with additional specific requirements.

Please see the magistrate judge’s order for details.

5. Proposed Orders: A proposed order must be submitted with every

motion via e-mail as instructed under the ECF system’s “Proposed Orders”

event. 

6. Documents That Require Leave of Court to File: A party who moves

for leave of court to file an amended pleading, or for leave of court to file

any other document (e.g., surreply, document exceeding the page limit,

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Standing Order Designating Case for Enrollment in ECF - Page 5

etc.), must attach the proposed document as an exhibit to the motion for

leave. If the motion for leave is granted, the moving party must submit

the document for which leave was granted within three business days

after leave is granted, unless otherwise ordered by the court.

7. Privacy Policy: Counsel must ensure that all documents filed with

the court strictly comply with the privacy policy of the United States

District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The privacy policy

restricts the use and manner of use of certain types of information,

including: social security numbers, driver license numbers, tax

identification numbers, minors’ names, birth dates, financial account

numbers, credit card numbers, medical records, employment

histories, proprietary or trade secret information, crime victim

information, national security information, sensitive security

information as described in 49 U.S.C. § 114(s), and information

regarding an individual’s cooperation with the government. The

complete privacy policy may be found at

http://www.txnd.uscourts.gov/pdf/TXNprivnot.pdf.

8. Questions: ECF questions should be directed to the Office of the Clerk

at (214)753-2200 or the ECF Help Desk at (866) 243-2866.

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Standing Order Designating Case for Enrollment in ECF - Page 6

ATTACHMENT 1

COURTESY COPY REQUIREMENTS

JUDGE COPY REQUIREMENTS MAILED TO:

A. Joe Fish Civil and Criminal Cases: ALL FILINGS 1100 Commerce Street,

Room 1528

Dallas, TX 75242

Sidney A. Fitzwater Civil and Criminal Cases: ALL FILINGS 1100 Commerce Street,

Room 1520

Dallas, TX 75242

Jorge A. Solis Civil and Criminal Cases: ALL FILINGS,

including Proposed Orders

1100 Commerce Street,

Room 1654

Dallas, TX 75242

David C. Godbey No Courtesy Copies Required

Sam A. Lindsay Civil Cases: All Dispositive Motions,

Responses, Replies and Appendices

thereto and any document over 25 pages

in length

Criminal Cases: ALL FILINGS

1100 Commerce Street,

Room 1312

Dallas, TX 75242

Barbara M.G. Lynn Civil Cases: All Dispositive Motions,

Responses, Replies and Appendices

thereto and any document over 25 pages

in length

Criminal Cases: ALL FILINGS

1100 Commerce Street,

Room 1572

Dallas, TX 75242

Note: Judge Lynn allows

hand-deliveries to

chambers.

Ed Kinkeade Civil Cases: All Dispositive Motions,

Responses, Replies, and Appendices

thereto and any document over 25 pages

in length

Criminal Cases: ALL FILINGS

1100 Commerce Street,

Room 1625

Dallas, TX 75242

Jane J. Boyle Civil and Criminal Cases: All Dispositive

Motions, Responses, Replies, and

Appendices thereto

1100 Commerce Street,

Room 1376

Dallas, TX 75242

Jerry Buchmeyer Civil and Criminal Cases: All Dispositive

Motions, Responses, Replies, and

Appendices thereto (including Joint

Submissions)

1100 Commerce Street,

Room 1544

Dallas, TX 75242

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