While the Committee is deliberating, the AO is putting together a matrix of all current state approaches to this problem, which should be posted on its web site by spring of 2001. Thus far, this simple system has performed admirably, and Bockweg and Bryson say the federal courts will wait until digital signature technology standardizes before embracing it. The AO has not yet fully addressed the problem of pro se filings but currently handles those filings through court imaging of documents and courthouse kiosks which can be easily utilized by pro se filers. XML, the trendy byword of the e-filing world, is on the AO's radar screen, but thus far the AO remains content to be a spectator. While paper won't disappear from courts in the short term, ECF has already proven its worth.
Lost files are a thing of the past.
The time consumed in transferring files from place to place has evaporated. Judges and counsel need not carry bulky files to their homes or pack extra suitcases while traveling. When used in conjunction with case management, ECF speeds workflow and provides real time docket entries. The expenses of couriers, postage, and runners have diminished. Service of process is simpler and cheaper.