Attorney Civil Case Opening Training and Resources

Beginning on December 1, 2012, attorneys will be able to file their own civil case opening documents electronically in the Case Management/Electronic Case Filing (CM/ECF) system. For more information, please see the attached newsletter.

Online training modules are available for Electronic Civil Case Opening.

Part 1 of the Civil Case Opening Process:
  Entering Case Data & Parties

Part 2 of the Civil Case Opening Process:
  Filing a Complaint
  Filing a Notice of Removal

When opening a new civil case electronically, prepare all case initiating documents and complete a Civil Cover Sheet before starting the case opening process. The Cause of Action list will assist in determining which code should be entered on the Civil Cover Sheet and in CM/ECF.

    Civil Cover Sheet
      Fillable Form (PDF)
      Web Link

Review the New Case Checklist and Electronic Case Opening Instructions before opening a new civil case in CM/ECF to avoid common case opening errors.

Also, review the Party Name Guide which provides guidance and tips for entering party names into the CM/ECF database.