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CM/ECF FAQs

How do attorneys receive a CM/ECF login and password?

In order to file electronically, an attorney must be admitted to practice before the Court and must request e-filing privileges through PACER.  Click here for instructions.

 

Can a pro se party register for CM/ECF?

Only attorneys admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas can register for CM/ECF.

 

Does a login and password from another federal court, e.g., U.S. Bankruptcy Court, transfer to the district court?

Attorney users must be registered for CM/ECF in each federal court in which they practice.

 

What should a user do if the CM/ECF login or password is misplaced?

Attorneys will login to CM/ECF using Central Sign-on through PACER.  For password assistance, call the PACER Service Center at 1-800-676-6856.  If you need additional assistance, call the Clerk's office at 501-604-5351 or 866-449-2550.

 

How do I link my PACER account to an existing CM/ECF account?

If you know your previous CM/ECF login and password, you can link your existing account. Click here for instructions.  Otherwise, you can request e-filing privileges with our Court through your PACER account and the Clerk’s office will link your PACER to your existing CM/ECF account.  Click here for instructions.

 

My law firm uses a shared PACER account. Can we continue to use that account?

Each attorney must have an individual PACER account to use for electronic filing in NextGen. A law firm can create a PACER Administrative Account (PAA) to manage the billing for all the individual accounts. Staff members who share a PACER account only for research can continue to share.

 

I am admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas but do not have an e-filing account.  How do I register for e-filing?

You must log into your PACER account and request e-filing registration with our Court.  Click here for instructions.

 

Is there a fee for filing electronically?

There is no fee to file a document electronically.  Additionally, CM/ECF registered attorneys will receive an e-mail Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) with a hyperlink to the filed document.  The attorney can view and/or download the document one time free of charge.  PACER fees will apply to any document viewed more than one time.

 

Is electronic filing mandatory for attorneys?

A person represented by an attorney must file electronically unless allowed by the Court for good cause and as set forth in Local Rule 5.1.  (See Fed. R. Civ. P. 5(d)(3)(A) and Fed. R. Crim. P. 49(b)(3)(A).)

 

When is the CM/ECF system available to users?

The system is available for users seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day.  However, time sensitive documents that are filed on the last day of any given deadline must be filed by 5:00 p.m., unless otherwise ordered by the Court.

 

How should an attorney's signature appear on a document that is filed electronically?

An attorney's name on a signature block along with the CM/ECF user name and password serves as the signature.  The signature block should be as follows:

Pat Attorney
Bar number 12345
Attorney for (Plaintiff/Defendant)
ABC Law Firm
1600 West Capitol Avenue
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Telephone (501) 604-5300
E-mail:  pat_attorney@law.com

 

How should documents be formatted for submission in CM/ECF?

All documents must be saved in portable document format (pdf) to be filed in CM/ECF.  Documents should be scanned in 600 dpi, and there is a file size limit of 35 megabytes per attachment. For additional information on formatting, click here.

 

How does an attorney initiate an action without having the case number?

All case initiating documents, e.g., complaint, petition for removal from state court, indictment, information, etc.) in civil and criminal cases must be filed conventionally, in paper, with the Clerk's office.  Subsequent documents may be filed electronically.

 

Can sealed documents be filed electronically?

All documents submitted for filing under seal must be filed conventionally, in paper, with the Clerk's office.

 

If a document is filed electronically, must a paper copy be mailed to opposing counsel and to the Court?

Whenever a document is filed electronically, CM/ECF will generate a Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) to the filing party, to any other party who is a registered user and to the assigned judge.  If the recipient is a registered filing user, the system-generated NEF shall be deemed to constitute service of the document by electronic means pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 5 (b)(2)(E) and Fed. R. Crim. P. 49(b).  The Court does not require a paper copy of documents filed electronically.

 

What should an attorney do once an error is made in an electronic filing?

When a filing error is made, the attorney should contact the Clerk's office via the CM/ECF Help Desk at 501-604-5351 or 866-449-2550 or clerksoffice@ared.uscourts.gov.

 

Can an attorney view documents in CM/ECF?

Attorneys must have a Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) account to view documents on the electronic docket.  Please visit the PACER web site to obtain registration information (pacer.uscourts.gov).  The electronic case documents are available through CM/ECF with a PACER login.

 

The party I represent in a civil action was dismissed prior to case closing.  Can I continue to receive electronic notification of case filings through CM/ECF?

Yes. To continue receiving notices of electronic filings, please email the Clerk’s office at clerksoffice@ared.uscourts.gov and request reinstatement of electronic notifications.

 

How do I serve a document, such as a motion for reconsideration or a notice of appeal, on party that was terminated in a civil action prior to case closing?

When a party is dismissed prior to case closing, the CM/ECF system will no longer generate a Notice of Electronic Filing for the terminated party when documents are filed. If a motion or other document should be served on the dismissed party, the filing party must include a certificate of service in the document that verifies service by other means.

 

The party I represent in a multi-defendant criminal action has been terminated. Can I stop receiving notices of electronic case filings through CM/ECF?

No. The Clerk’s office will not discontinue electronic notification in a criminal case without an Order.  Attorneys will continue to receive electronic notification of case filings in closed criminal cases until the Court takes action to withdraw the attorney. See Local Rule 83.5 (f).