On December 1, 2009, several local rules will be amended. These amendments are in response to the Federal Rule changes that take effect on December 1, 2009, concerning how to compute time. In addition, LR 54.3, "Time Limit for Motion for Award of Attorney's Fees" will change to provide a procedure for the taxation of costs. For more information regarding these amendments or the upcoming Federal Rule changes, click on the links to see the public notice and the full text of the upcoming amendments.

A new job - Intake Generalist - has been posted on our Employment page. Please click on the link to view the job description.

The forms menu on the Court's website has been updated to incorporate nine new forms designed to be of assistance to pro se litigants. These forms consist of a Complaint (general); Employment Discrimination Complaint; Complaint for Judicial Review of a Decision of the Commissioner of Social Security; Motion (general); Notice of Hearing; Memorandum of Law; Certificate of Service by Mail; Certificate of Electronic Service; Certificate of Electronic Service for Motion Papers; and a Notice of Appeal. In addition, the IFP application, AO240 Application to Proceed without Payment, has been replaced with the restyled AO239 Application to Proceed in District Court Without Prepaying Fees and Costs. Please visit the Court Forms menu to see these new forms.

The District of Minnesota has adopted amendments to the following Local Rules and Form: LR 7.1, LR 7.2(a)-(c), LR 9.1, LR 15.1, LR 37.1, LR 72.2(a), LR 83.10 and Form 3. For more information regarding the rule changes, read the public notice. To see the full text of the amendments, click on the links.

The District of Minnesota is proposing several changes to the Local Rules. These proposed changes are in response to the Federal Rule changes effective December 1, 2009, concerning how to compute time. In addition, the Court proposes to amend LR 54.3, "Time Limit for Motion for Award of Attorney's Fees" to provide a procedure for the taxation of costs. For more information regarding the proposed rule changes or the upcoming Federal Rule changes, read the public notice and to see the full text of the proposed changes, click on the links. Public comment on the proposed amendments is due by October 16, 2009.

Beginning 9/14/2009, the court's case management system (CM/ECF) incorporates a new feature for attorney e-filers. At the login prompt, attorneys must acknowledge their responsibility for redaction of electronically filed documents under Fed. R. Civ. P. 5.2 and Fed. R. Crim. P. 49.1 by clicking a checkbox on the login screen. This change reflects national Judicial Conference policy.

Beginning 9/21/2009, the court will implement changes to CM/ECF which allow for the electronic payment of certain court fees. Secure, on-line payments may be made by credit/debit card as part of specific e-filing events through the U.S. Treasury’s Pay.gov website. Please see the Public Notice for more information.

For details on using CM/ECF to make electronic payments , please review the Procedure Guide and FAQ's on using Pay.gov.

The District of Minnesota is proposing several changes to the local rules. Substantive changes are proposed for Local Rules 7.1 - Civil Motion Practice and LR 83.10 - Sentencing. In addition, minor or technical changes are proposed for LR 7.2, 9.1, 15.1, 37.1, 72.2, and Form 3. For more information regarding the proposed rule changes, read the public notice and to see the full text of the proposed changes, click on the links. Public comment on the proposed rule changes are due by August 21, 2009.

A new version of the court's CM/ECF case management software will be implemented beginning on Monday, July 27, 2009. CM/ECF version 4.0 will provide several improvements for attorney e-filers and PACER users, including a new interface for adding filers/parties, an improved method for adding documents and attachments, improvements to e-mail configuration for attorney ECF accounts, and more. For details on the new features, please review the guide to CM/ECF ver. 4.0 Enhancements for Attorney E-Filers and PACER Users.

The District of Minnesota will offer live, interactive demonstrations to introduce attorneys, paralegals and others to the new e-filing features of CM/ECF, ver. 4.0. Sessions are scheduled for Wednesday, July 15, 2009, at 2:00 PM, and on Thursday, July 16, 2009, at 9:00 AM.

These live demonstrations will provide e-filers with two ways to learn about ver. 4.0 enhancements. The sessions may be attended in person, at the Minneapolis, St. Paul or Duluth courthouses -- or from any location via the internet, using WebEx and a telephone connection. Each session is free, but advance registration is required. For details and registration instructions, please see the CM/ECF Ver. 4.0 WebEx Training Sessions page.

Effective Friday, May 1, 2009, the U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, will increase the individual file size limit for PDF documents filed on the court's CM/ECF system. The current file size limit of 2.5 MB per document will increase to 5 MB per document.

For attorney e-filers, this change will reduce the need to split large documents filed electronically in CM/ECF, such as exhibits, into two or more smaller PDF documents. It also means that some e-filed documents could take longer to view/download when accessing them from e-mail Notices of Electronic Filing (NEFs), or when using PACER. The complete announcement regarding this change is available on the court's public website. Please click on the link to view the announcement.

For assistance with PDF documents or other questions, please contact the court's ECF HelpDesk at 1-866-325-4975 or 612-664-5155 or by e-mail at: ecfhelpdesk@mnd.uscourts.gov .