This manual provides basic instruction for using Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) in the District of Oregon. CM/ECF, in conjunction with Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), allows Registered Users to file, retrieve, and view civil and criminal public documents.
The United States District Courts initiated electronic filing in 1990. Information about how to locate civil and criminal case information pre-dating 1990 may be found in Section 12 of this manual.
Term |
Description |
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CM/ECF |
Case Management/Electronic Case Files. |
CM/ECF NextGen |
The latest version of CM/ECF, which introduced Central Sign-on (CSO). |
CSO |
Central Sign-on, a NextGen module that allows public users to access CM/ECF with their PACER credentials. |
Division Codes |
Venue codes assigned to the separate Divisional Offices of the Court. See LR 3-2.
|
Docket Entry |
A pleading, order, or other document entered on the docket sheet. Each entry includes a filing date, document number, and docket text. Supplemental docket text supplied by a filer will appear in italicized text. Docket entries are created by users selecting events from the available civil and criminal menus that most accurately describe the proceeding being recorded or document being filed. |
Docket Sheet |
The Court's permanent record of case filings and proceedings is referred to as the docket sheet. Docket sheet information for a case includes the names of the parties or litigants, attorney information, and general statistical data. Docket sheets also contain a chronological list of the pleadings and other documents filed in a case (docket entries). |
Document |
Any pleading, motion, exhibit, declaration, affidavit, memorandum, order, notice, or other filing made part of the Court's record. |
Fed. R. Civ. P. |
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure |
Fed. R. Crim. P. |
Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure |
File Size Limitation |
The maximum upload size allowed for a single PDF, which is 75 MB. |
Access Restricted to Counsel of Record and Case Participants |
Access that restricts document viewing to a case's participants. |
LR |
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NEF |
Notice of Electronic Filing, an e-mail notice delivered to case participants at the completion of filing. |
PACER |
Public Access to Court Electronic Records is an electronic public access gateway that allows anyone to obtain public case information, including docket sheets and documents, from any federal court. Registration for a PACER account is free, but there may be a fee associated with accessing case information. |
Party |
Plaintiff(s), petitioner(s), defendant(s), respondents(s), or any other named participant in a case. |
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Portable Document Format, the file format that is used to store documents in CM/ECF. |
PST |
Pacific Standard Time - refers to all hours stated in this manual including Standard or Daylight Savings, whichever is applicable. |
Registered User |
An attorney or pro se litigant who has been granted e-filing privileges in CM/ECF. See LR 1-5(l). |
Remote Public Access |
Access to view a document available via PACER. Access to electronic case files is available for all parties and the public at each divisional office of the Court during regular business hours. A copy fee for reproduction of an electronic document will be charged in accordance with the Schedule of Fees. |
Schedule of Fees |
A list of services provided by the Court and the fees associated with those services. |
A Registered User with a web browser, word processing software, PDF creation software, and access to the Internet will be able to use CM/ECF to perform the following functions:
Basic computer knowledge and skills are necessary in order to use CM/ECF.
Registered Users should have a working knowledge of the operating systems on their computers, including web browsing, opening and closing programs, word processing, PDF creation, and printing.
Note: Some versions of Safari make finding and uploading PDF files into CM/ECF difficult or impossible. Apple users should use an alternative browser, such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.
The following are the minimum requirements for using CM/ECF:
For assistance regarding electronic filing, contact the Clerk's Office at 503-326-8000.
For assistance regarding the viewing of federal court case information or the recovery of login credentials, visit the PACER Service Center website at pacer.uscourts.gov.
The Court website (ord.uscourts.gov) contains information relating to the work of the Court, including this manual, the Local Rules, Standing Orders, Court Policies, and Court contact information.
Only registered CM/ECF users are granted access to file in CM/ECF. As of January 21, 2020, all public users of CM/ECF—including attorneys and self-represented parties who have been granted filing privileges—must access CM/ECF using credentials for an upgraded individual PACER account.
Individuals seeking to become registered users must request CM/ECF filing privileges via PACER by applying for admission or, for those already admitted or for self-represented parties that are allowed to e-file, submitting a registration request. Attorneys admitted to the bar prior to January 21, 2020, but who have never registered for a CM/ECF account should contact the Court for assistance.
Attorneys that have not been admitted and self-represented parties that have not previously been allowed to e-file are required to apply for admission or request registration using an upgraded individual PACER account.
Attorneys seeking admission to practice in the District should follow the instructions on the Court's website under Admissions to request admission through PACER.
Attorneys from other districts seeking to appear pro hac vice in this District should follow the instructions on the Court's website regarding admission pro hac vice. Attorneys seeking pro hac vice admission to the District of Oregon must file a Motion to Appear Pro Hac Vice in the case in which they wish to appear and may need to also request CM/ECF registration via PACER.
Self-represented parties wishing to e-file should follow the instructions on the Court's website regarding registering for CM/ECF access as a self-represented party.
Individuals who had filing access to CM/ECF before January 21, 2020, including admitted attorneys and self-represented parties who were granted access to e-file in a case must submit a registration request using an upgraded individual PACER account to link that PACER account to an existing CM/ECF filing account. See Submitting a Registration Request in PACER, below.
Use these instructions if:
Step |
Action |
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1 |
Navigate to pacer.uscourts.gov. Mouse over the Manage Your Account panel under What can we help you accomplish? and click on Manage My Account Login. Click the Log in to Manage My Account button and log in with your upgraded PACER credentials. |
2 |
Click on the Maintenance tab. |
3 |
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4 |
Select District for Court Type and Oregon District Court for Court. Click Next. |
5 |
Click the E-File Registration Only button and follow the instructions. The request will be sent to the District of of Oregon, where generally it will be processed in under 24 hours. You may check the status of your request in PACER by clicking the Check E-File Status link under the Maintenance tab. |
Navigate to ecf.ord.uscourts.gov. The browser will be redirected to PACER. Enter valid PACER credentials and a client code, if necessary. Successful logins will be redirected back to CM/ECF.
The client code field is an optional field available on the login screen for PACER tracking purposes. Any client code is entered for a transaction will be reflected on the billing statement generated by the PACER Service Center.
Because CM/ECF is accessed with PACER credentials, user name and password maintenance must be done through PACER's lost username or lost password utilities or by contacting PACER directly. The user's e-mail address, in addition to either the account number or date of birth and first and last names, are required to reset a username or password in PACER. The Court is unable to reset a user's PACER username and password.
After logging into CM/ECF, registered users will be able to use the main menu to file documents or perform other tasks.
The filing events are organized by category:
Menu Item |
Types of Events |
---|---|
Civil |
Civil case filings, such as motions, notices, service documents, responses, replies, and answers. |
Criminal |
Criminal case filings, such as plea-related documents, motions, responses, replies, appeal documents, notices, and trial documents. |
Query |
Run name searches, create docket activity reports, look up case numbers, etc. |
Reports |
Access the written opinions report, run civil and/or criminal case reports, calendar event reports, docket sheet reports, etc. |
Utilities |
View Court information, link a PACER account to a CM/ECF account, review billing history, etc. |
Search |
Search for events. |
The menus of events under the Civil selection include: Open a Civil Case, Initial Pleadings and Service, Motions and Related Filings, Other Filings, and Attorney Admissions.
The menus of events under the Criminal selection include: Charging Instruments and Pleas, Motions and Related Filings, and Other Filings. Selection of the links under those headings reveals the individual docket events.
To electronically file a Trial Memorandum in a civil case, for example, you would first select Civil from the main menu and click on the Trial Documents menu under Other Filings. The event Trial Memorandum appears under the Trial Documents menu.
If you are having trouble finding a specific event, click the Search function and start typing the name of the event you wish to file. A list of all events that include the word entered in the search field will be displayed.
Find the correct event and click on the event name to begin the filing process.
DO NOT USE the browser BACK and FORWARD buttons to navigate through CM/ECF. If an event was selected in error or incorrect information was entered on a prior screen, navigate back to the Civil or Criminal menu and begin again.
The standard format for electronically filed documents is Portable Document Format or PDF. At the time of filing, CM/ECF evaluates the document for compliance with PDF standards and will reject PDFs with the following content:
CM/ECF will also reject
In addition to the above requirements, the District of Oregon prohibits unflattened fillable forms and requires that all PDF documents be text-searchable.
More information about creating, uploading, and viewing PDFs is available on the PACER website.
There are three primary methods for creating PDF documents: (1) saving a document as a PDF directly from the word processing program, (2) printing a document to PDF, or (3) scanning documents from paper into PDF. All PDF documents filed in CM/ECF are required to be text-searchable. LR 5-2(b).
Saving a document to PDF directly from your word-processing program is the preferred method of creating PDFs. Most PDFs created this way are optimized and meet text-searchable requirements.
In some instances, printing to PDF is preferable. This is the case for any PDF-fillable form or for any PDF or document that contains scripts or code. NOTE: If CM/ECF blocks a PDF from being uploaded, printing the file to PDF frequently solves the problem.
Scanning a document creates an image, and, therefore, scanned documents are much larger than documents saved directly to PDF. In addition, an optical character recognition (OCR) program requirements.
DO NOT upload a PDF fillable form to CM/ECF. Instead, print or flatten the fillable PDF before uploading it to CM/ECF so that the fields are removed.
PDF/A is an International Standards Organization (ISO) standard document format. PDF/A documents are self-contained and do not rely on or access information outside of the document itself to display the information contained within the document. Accordingly, the PDF document appears, and will continue to appear, identical to the document from which it was created, no matter where or when it is accessed. As a result, most PDF/A documents will have a slightly larger file size.
The District of Oregon does not require filings to be in PDF/A format at this time.
PDF files that exceed 75 MB will not be accepted by CM/ECF. Files that exceed this limit must be broken down into smaller, separate files and uploaded as attachments to the main document.
Step | Screen | |
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This is the document attachment screen, which is presented in all public-user events. | ![]() |
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REMINDER: PDF Fillable Forms should be flattened prior to attachment, and pursuant to LR 5-2(b), all pleadings and documents, including attachments and exhibits, must be filed as text-searchable PDF files unless otherwise directed by the Court. | ||
The main document should be the pleading. Click Choose File to locate the document for attachment. | ![]() |
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A new window will open. Locate your pleading in the location where it has been saved. | ![]() |
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Prior to attachment, it is recommended that the PDF be reviewed to ensure it is accurate and is the correct attachment. This can be done by right clicking on the PDF and selecting the Open option. The PDF will open on your screen for review. After confirming the PDF is correct, click the X in the upper right corner of the PDF to close it. | ![]() |
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Make sure the correct document is highlighted, and then click Open in CM/ECF to continue with document attachment. | ![]() |
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Attachments should also be uploaded at this time. Click Choose File to locate and confirm your attachment as indicated above. | ![]() |
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Each attachment must be labeled with a Category from the drop-down menu or a Description in the free text field. It is not necessary to enter both a Category and Description. | ![]() |
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The first attachment(s) should be any exhibit(s) to the pleading, such as the required state court pleadings for a Notice of Removal. The next attachment should be the Civil Cover Sheet (JS44) followed by individual summons(es) for issuance. Multiple summons(es) may be attached as a single PDF document. Civil Cover Sheet and Summons are selections available in the Category drop-down menu. | ![]() |
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NOTE: Attaching a PDF to the Attachment 1 option causes the Attachment 2 option to appear. Repeat the attachment process as needed to attach all necessary documents. | ||
When all documents have been added, click Next to continue. | ![]() |
Step | Screen |
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The next screen presents five questions to determine the status of any filing fees for a complaint or notice of removal. | ![]() |
These selections indicate exemption or waiver of the filing fee and will allow you to proceed without payment of fees through Pay.gov. If you select either of these options, please proceed to the Party this Filing is Against section below. | ![]() |
This selection initiates the online payment process through PACER and Pay.gov. | ![]() |
The next screen verifies the filing fee. Click Next to be redirect to PACER for payment. If prompted, log in with valid PACER credentials. | ![]() |
If you have a saved a default filing fees payment method in PACER, that payment method will be selected by default. To use a different payment method, click Enter a Credit Card and complete the required fields. | ![]() |
If you do not have a default filing fees payment method specified in PACER, enter the payment information and click Next. | ![]() |
The next screen is the payment confirmation screen. If you need to modify any information, click Back. Otherwise, enter any additional e-mail addresses that should receive a copy of the receipt, check the box to authorize payment, and click Submit. IMPORTANT! Although the fee has now been paid, the filing has not been perfected in CM/ECF, so do not close the tab or window. You will immediately be redirected back to CM/ECF to complete the transaction. |
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Standing Order 2011-9 (see 2011-9 In Re Policy to Refund Electronic Filing Fees.pdf ) grants the Clerk's Office authority to issue a refund for duplicate or erroneous fee payments made via Pay.gov. A CM/ECF Registered User who makes a duplicate or erroneous fee payment through Pay.gov will receive a Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) alerting the user to the duplicate payment and a deadline by which a request for refund is due. Refund requests may be filed only for duplicate or erroneous fee payments and only after a Registered User receives a notice of duplicate payment. Below are instructions for filing a refund request and tips on how to avoid making duplicate payments in the future.
Requests for a refund of duplicate or erroneous payments must be made in writing in pleading form and filed in CM/ECF using the "Request for Refund of Fees Paid Electronically" event, which may be found using the search feature. The pleading must contain the name, address, and telephone number of the party requesting the refund. See Sample Request for Refund of Pay.gov Payment.pdf . During filing, the user will be prompted to link to the filing for which the duplicate payment was made.
The written request for a refund must be accompanied by supporting documentation, including a copy of the electronic payment receipt and a copy of the NEF from the system transaction in CM/ECF during which the erroneous payment was made. This documentation is to be added as attachments to the main document during the filing process.
Upon receipt of the refund request and verification of the error, the Clerk's Office will process the refund to the same credit card used to make the erroneous payment. A notice of the refund will be recorded in the associated case docket in CM/ECF. Refunds will not be issued by check.
To avoid making duplicate payments:
In the event an attorney or law firm repeatedly makes erroneous payments and corresponding refund requests, the Court may consider remedial action, including an order to show cause as to why that attorney or law firm should not be barred from making future payments electronically.
In the event that the Court declares the CM/ECF filing system to be unavailable for filing, the Clerk’s Office will post a Notice of CM/ECF System Outage on this website’s homepage to alert users to the outage. The Clerk's Office will also post a notice when CM/ECF returns to normal operation. Notices of scheduled outages for maintenance tasks will be posted in advance of the outage, and users should monitor this website for notices of scheduled outages. CM/ECF undergoes scheduled maintenance at 4 a.m. daily for approximately one hour.
During a system outage, as defined above, registered users may submit emergency filings as defined above via e-mail to the following address: . Counsel or self-represented parties who are concerned about whether a filing must be submitted to the Clerk to ensure its timeliness should also submit the filing by e-mail during the outage.
Filing via e-mail will commence on the date and time stated in the Court’s Notice of CM/ECF System Outage and will end at the time the Court posts a notice that the system is operational, or, in the event of a scheduled outage, the stated end of the maintenance window. Any documents sent to this e-mail address outside of the time period identified in the Court's official notices will not be docketed by the Court.
PDF documents submitted via e-mail must conform to all current requirements as outlined in the Local Rules and the CM/ECF User Manual. Documents submitted via e-mail during the outage will be deemed filed upon the date received. They will be docketed by court staff as soon as practical after CM/ECF returns to normal operation.
CM/ECF will accept documents with hyperlinks, and they may be included in filings. LR 5-2(c). Some judges prefer that sources be hyperlinked in pleadings. For information on how to create hyperlinks, refer to the documentation for your application, i.e., Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat.
Thousands of cases are filed each year in the District of Oregon, and CM/ECF assigns a unique case number to each case when it is opened. The full case number (seen on the case assignment form you receive from the Court) will be formatted as follows:
At the conclusion of a filing transaction, the system will generate a Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) to confirm that the document has been filed and served on the parties who are Registered Users. The NEF displays the recipient's names, primary e-mail addresses, and secondary e-mail addresses (if any). The NEF will also indicate which case participants (if any) who were not served electronically. The filing party is responsible for effecting service in hard copy on parties who were not served electronically.
NEFs each contain a hyperlink to the main document attached to the docket entry. "Paperless" orders do not include a link because the entire order is visible as the docket text and included as part of the NEF.
Registered Users have two options to receive NEFs: either per filing or as a daily summary report that is generated only if case activity has occurred. These preferences may be changed in your PACER account.
Step |
Screen |
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The date and time of the filing are documented in the NEF. The time is recorded as Pacific time (PDT) based on the location of CM/ECF. |
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The case name and number, the filing party, the document number assigned to the entry, and the judge assigned to the case are listed in the NEF. |
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The docket text of the entry is also displayed. |
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NEF recipients are listed below this line. |
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Parties who are not Registered Users who require service by another means are listed below this line. |
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Each document attached to the entry receives an electronic document stamp verifying that it was filed in CM/ECF. |
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NOTE: Some e-mail systems follow hyperlinks to check for security risks, which will use up the "free look," so e-mails from CM/ECF should be exempted from this type of scanning.
With the exception of transcripts of proceedings and documents filed under seal or otherwise restricted, each recipient of an NEF receives a "free look" at the filed document. Any subsequent access to the document will result in assessment of applicable PACER fees.
Only Registered Users associated with the case as counsel or party of record may view documents filed with restriction levels. Users attempting to access such documents will be prompted to log in before the document may be viewed. These document types include, but are not limited to, the following:
The District of Oregon uses media noticing accounts to allow media professionals to receive Notices of Electronic Filing (NEFs) in selected cases. Note: clicking on a link included in an NEF will result in PACER fees.
An upgraded PACER account is required to apply for a Media Noticing Account. For instructions on registering or upgrading a PACER account, visit pacer.uscourts.gov.
For instructions on registering for a District of Oregon CM/ECF media noticing account, see Submitting a Registration Request in PACER and follow the instructions for a media noticing account in Step 3. When entering/reviewing your address, type MEDIA OR MEDIA ACCOUNT in the Firm/Office field. Requests for Media Noticing Accounts that do not include this will be rejected.
To add cases for noticing to your account see How to Configure Noticing.
Service of a document to a Registered User is deemed complete upon filing the document in CM/ECF, at which point the system transmits the NEF. Fed. R. Civ. P. 5(b). To ensure proper service, it is essential that Registered Users maintain current, working e-mail addresses in CM/ECF and PACER. Furthermore, it is important that interference with the NEF not occur after it leaves the Court's mail server, such as being deemed junk mail by a spam filter. The Court cannot stress enough that NEF delivery failures will not excuse missed deadlines.
An NEF transmission may fail if the recipient's mailbox is too full or if the recipient's e-mail is otherwise unavailable. Usually the recipient's e-mail provider will deliver such messages at a later time, resulting in a delay. Though a bounceback message will be delivered, the Court will not retransmit the NEF unless the message fails permanently.
When an NEF message permanently fails for an e-mail address, the Court receives a bounceback. The Court will use current case information as well as the Oregon State Bar directory (or other state bar directory resources) to attempt to locate the attorney and will attempt to resend such messages to the correct primary e-mail address for Registered Users, however, incorrect secondary e-mail addresses associated with CM/ECF accounts that generate permanent delivery failures will be removed from the account without any further notice.
Attorneys will be asked to comply with LR 83 by submitting a notice of change of address in their pending cases and/or cases on appeal. A motion for substitution of counsel or notice of withdrawal or substitution of counsel may be requested.
If the Clerk's Office is unable to reach the party or parties involved, the transaction failure will be documented on the case docket. Court staff will instruct opposing counsel to complete service in hard copy of an undeliverable filed document if the other attempts to complete notification fail. Court staff will complete service in hard copy of an undeliverable court-generated document if the other attempts to complete notification fail.
Pursuant to LR 83-10, any notices of change of business address and/or e-mail address must be made in pleading form and filed in the pending cases and in cases on appeal. An e-mail or letter to the Court is NOT sufficient. Registered Users are responsible for updating their own user account information in PACER.
The Court is required under Fed. R. Civ. P 77(d) to notify counsel of record of the entry of all orders and judgments, including post-judgment orders and appeal activity, even if the litigant represented has been terminated from the case. Counsel desiring to terminate electronic notices in a case must do so affirmatively by either:
Title | Created Date | Last Modified Date | |
---|---|---|---|
Required documents | 04/03/2012 | 02/21/2020 | |
Selecting the Divisional Venue | 02/21/2020 | 02/21/2020 | |
Arbitration Code | 02/21/2020 | 02/21/2020 | |
County | 02/21/2020 | 02/21/2020 | |
Fee Status and Fee Date | 02/21/2020 | 02/21/2020 | |
Date Transfer | 02/21/2020 | 02/21/2020 | |
Adding Parties | 04/01/2012 | 02/21/2020 | |
Entry of Civil Cover Sheet (JS44) Information | 04/02/2012 | 02/21/2020 | |
Filing the Complaint or Notice of Removal | 03/31/2012 | 02/21/2020 | |
Corporate Disclosure Statement | 03/29/2012 | 02/21/2020 | |
Top Case Opening Mistakes | 05/11/2016 | 02/21/2020 |
To file service events, select Service and Process Documents from the Initial Pleadings and Service menu. This menu list contains both Fed. R. Civ. P. 4 and 5 events. Select the appropriate event shown in the drop-down menu.
The Summons/Service Return (All Types) event is to be used when the U.S. Marshal has effected service. The Summons/Service Return(All Types) event should be selected when the return has been made on the reverse of the summons or some other form of return. These events are to be used in connection with Fed. R. Civ. P. 4 service of process.
The events for Affidavit of Service and Certificate of Service are used to record service under Fed. R. Civ. P. 5.
The following events are used specifically for entering the return of service of habeas petitions and should not be used for return of service under Fed. R. Civ. P. 4.
This event will allow the user to add attorneys and may only be used to file the first answer by a defendant to the complaint. Subsequent answers must be filed using the Other Answers menu.
The ordering of the screens under Answers to Complaints is unique in that the user will not see a drop-down list for types of answers to complaints, but will instead be immediately prompted to enter the case number. The system will then return a list of unanswered complaints based upon the type of complaint filed.
Check the box next to each unanswered complaint being answered by this filing.
This screen will collect information about any third-party complaints. Checking this box will invoke additional screens to add the third-party defendant(s). The user must select the party against whom the complaint is being filed.
Users will be reminded to update jury demand information.
This menu contains the events for Answers and Responses to non-motion events. Events to file subsequent answers by the same defendant are available in this menu.
As with other filings, the user must choose the event, enter the case number, pick the party filer, and complete the Link Party Attorney screen as appropriate. During the transaction, the user will be prompted to upload the corresponding PDF file. To access the available motion types, the user should click on Motions under Motions and Related Filings menu. Multiple motion types may be selected simultaneously.
A Motion to Vacate and/or Correct Sentence pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §2255 is to be filed in the criminal case and will automatically open a corresponding civil case for statistical purposes only. The related pleadings are to be filed in the criminal case.
Several separate events address variations of motions for extension of time. Because each motion type creates and satisfies different deadlines when ruled on by the Court, it is important to select the motion type that most closely corresponds to the extension request. The generic Extension of Time event should be used only if the extension request does not match one of the other extension events.
Cost Bills behave like motions; accordingly, the Bill of Costs event is under the Motions menu. A cost bill may be submitted either on the standard form supplied by the Administrative Office or in pleading form.
Although objections behave like motions, the Objection to Magistrate Judge's Order event is located on the Responses and Replies menu.
LR 5-2 authorizes attorneys who are Registered Users to file a sealed Motion to File Document Under Seal without prior authorization. The proposed sealed document is to be attached to the motion.
Filers will be prompted as follows during the filing:
Access levels will be set according to the selected option. If the "Seal Entry" option is selected, the filer is encouraged to print the final screen at the end of the filing process because no NEF will issue.
Events in this category are to be used in connection with all motion category events. The user should select the most appropriate event and then further describe the pleading in the docket text box. Following are some Response and Reply events of special note:
Cost bills and Findings and Recommendations are treated as motions; consequently, the objection and response events to these documents are located on the Responses and Replies menu.
These events do not set a reply date.
When filing a response or reply to a motion, the user is prompted to select the subject motion to create the link automatically. The response and reply are to be linked to the subject motion. Where appropriate, the system will also schedule the reply due date upon the filing of the response.
Other supporting documents include documents signed by a third party. This menu contains events that may be linked to previously filed documents. The Related Documents screen is used to establish a hypertext link in the current event to previously filed documents. After selection of the Related Documents box, users will be prompted to select a category or date range for the previously filed document. For example, the category 'cmp' would be selected to link the current document to the complaint event. As with other menus, the user is prompted to select the event, case number, attorney, and filer.
Pursuant to LR 26-4(c) (see also 2012-6 In Re Electronic Filing of Documents Pursuant to an Existing Protective Order in a Civil Case.pdf ), Registered Users are required to file documents authorized for filing under seal pursuant to an existing protective order via CM/ECF.
If a protective order exists in a civil case, the user will be asked during filing if the document should be filed under seal.
Selecting "Yes" will restrict access to the document only (not the docket entry) to participants in the case. Selecting "No" will not restrict the document.
At the final warning screen, the user will be able to see the Document Restricted According to Protective Order text indicating the PDF attached to the docket entry is restricted.
Ex parte submissions to the Court may be made electronically by selection of the ex parte function (0ex1 or 0ex2, see bullet points below) in addition to the event to be filed. For information about submitting documents in camera or under seal, see LR 5-2, LR 5-5, and LR 26-4.
Effective December 1, 2020, LR 5-2 permits attorneys who are Registered Users in the District of Oregon to file documents under seal with prior authorization by a judge. Authorized sealed submissions may be made by selection of the sealed function (0seal – Seal Entry and Document) in addition to the event to be filed.
Filers will be prompted as follows:
Access levels will be set according to the selected option. If the "Seal Entry" option is selected, the filer is encouraged to print the final screen at the end of the filing process because no NEF will issue.
This menu offers events for ADR Documents, Discovery Documents, Notices, Trial Documents, Appeal Documents, and Other Documents. Procedures for filing these events are straightforward and similar to filing other documents where the user selects the event, selects the party, and completes the Link Party Attorney screen. Events of note are described below.
Notice events for the appearance, withdrawal, or substitution of counsel of record will prompt the user to add or terminate an attorney.
The procedure for filing trial events is similar to the procedure for filing other documents. First enter a case number, then select the filer. The next screen permits the user to choose what type of trial event to file. Select the type of trial event to be filed from the multi-select list. Proposed Jury Instructions, Voir Dire, and Verdict Form are some of events are found on this menu. Multiple trial events may be selected simultaneously by holding down the Ctrl key.
The Notice of Appeal event is used for appeals to the Ninth Circuit as well as appeals to the Federal Circuit. The filing fee is payable during the event transaction.
The Other Documents menu contains various events that vary in type. Select the event, select attorney, select party, and link party filer. Select the type of event to be filed from the multi-select list. Multiple events may be selected simultaneously.
Effective March 6, 2017, individual party Consents to Proceed Before a U.S. Magistrate Judge are to be filed electronically. See Standing Order 2017-4.
To file a consent to jurisdiction by a U.S. Magistrate Judge, use the Consent to Juridiction by Magistrate Judge – by Party event, which is found by clicking Civil and selecting Consents under the Other Filings heading. Individual party consents do not include the name of the filer, and the PDF attached to the entry is restricted to protect the voluntariness of the party's consent under 28 U.S.C. § 636(c)(2).
Pursuant to Standing Order 06-mc-9130, the United States has consented to U.S. Magistrate Judge jurisdiction in Social Security cases (see Standing Order for details). Accordingly, docketing of the Consent to Jurisdiction by Magistrate Judge – by Party event in a case with NOS code 863, 864, or 865 will be docketed as Consent by All Parties to Jurisdiction by U.S. Magistrate Judge.
Exhibits in PDF format may be filed in CM/ECF. For information on filing non-PDF exhibits, see Conventionally Filed Exhibits.
Case docket information sources are stored by various media depending on when the case was filed. The following date ranges are approximate. Users should contact the Clerk's Office for assistance in locating information for cases filed prior to 1990.
Access PACER to locate civil and criminal cases filed since 1990. Microfiche is available at the Court's Portland intake counters for civil and criminal cases filed from 1979 to 1990. Microfilm is available at the Court's Portland intake counters for criminal cases filed from 1971 to approximately 1983 and for civil cases from 1967 to approximately 1988.
To search for a name or party, you must have a minimum of two characters (alphabetic or numeric). A wildcard (*) symbol may be used in place of a character before the two known or after the two known characters entered. Entry of the wildcard character before the two known characters will generate a very broad search result. The system will view the two known characters as a string and display any names that contain the string.
Alternatively, use of the wildcard symbol following the two known characters will generate a report containing only those names that begin with the two known characters. The addition of known characters will further limit the search results. If more than one case/person meet the criteria, the user must select one from the generated list and then choose what data to view.
The Query main menu option allows users to search for specific case information by name or case number such as docket report, alias, attorney, party, or associated case information. Some options, like the motions report, will require additional selection criteria by the user. Users should note that name fields are not case sensitive and can be for both parties or attorneys. Users may further refine their search for case specific information on the Query sub-menu to reduce PACER charges by selecting the most appropriate item.
The Reports main menu option allows users to search for District-wide information for both civil and criminal cases. Menu selections are predicated upon the user's access level. In most report selection screens, the following rules apply:
The Docket Sheet report displays the cover page and selected docket entries for a single case. If a document range is specified, docket entries which do not have an associated document will not be listed. This report is the same as generated via the Query menu option Docket Report. Registered Users will be able to view the Notices of Electronic Filing by selecting Docket Sheet and checking the box to include the links to the Notice of Electronic Filing. When viewing the system-generated Docket Sheet, the user may click on the icon next to the document number to display the Notice of Electronic Filing for that transaction.
This report displays a summary list of cases selected by numerous criteria, including office, nature of suit, cause of action, and jurisdiction. The report can be sorted by case number or any of the criteria selected.
This report displays a summary list of cases selected by numerous criteria including office, case flags, or citation, and can include pending and/or terminated defendants. The report can be sorted by case number, terminal digit, or office.
Pursuant to the E-Government Act of 2002, a "written opinion" is defined as "any document issued by a judge or judges of the court, sitting in that capacity, that sets forth a reasoned explanation for a court's decision." The responsibility for determining which documents meet this definition rests with the authoring judge. The decision as to whether the document is a "written opinion" is not the same as the decision about whether an opinion should be published.
The definition is expressly intended to cover reports and recommendations issued by U.S. magistrate judges at such time as any action is taken by a district judge on the basis of a report and recommendations issued by a U.S. magistrate judge, and also includes a summary order by a district judge adopting such a report and recommendations. The definition is not intended to include routine, non-substantive orders, such as scheduling orders or rulings on motions for extension of time.
The Internet Payment History Report in CM/ECF can be used to view the transaction history for credit card payments you have made in CM/ECF as part of the electronic filing process.
The Internet Payment History Report displays:
The Utility menu includes the following options for registered users:
1Members of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon bar who were admitted before January 21, 2020, will see a fee payment due on this screen. Do not pay any bar admission fee unless instructed to do so by the Admissions Clerk.
Step |
Action |
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1 |
After logging in to CM/ECF, click Utilities in the main menu. |
2 |
Under the Your Account heading, click on Update Your E-mail Address. |
3 |
On the left side of the screen, under the Primary e-mail address heading, click on your e-mail address. |
4 |
The configuration options will appear on the right side of the screen.
|
The Case-specific options appear below the Configuration options. Here the user may add additional cases for noticing besides those where the user is attorney of record or a self-represented e-filing party, view the cases for which they will receive NEFs, and add cases for which the user wishes to receive summary NEFs only.
Step |
Action |
---|---|
1 |
After logging in to CM/ECF, click Utilities in the main menu. |
2 |
Under the Your Account heading, click on Update Your E-mail Address. |
3 |
Under Case-specific options on the right side of the screen, enter the case number for the case in which you wish to receive NEFs in the Add Additional Cases for Noticing field and click Find This Case. |
4 |
CM/ECF will reformat the case number if the case is found. Click Add case(s). The case will now appear in the list cases below. |
Secondary e-mail addresses allow a registered user to receive NEFs at additional e-mail addresses aside from their primary e-mail address. Note: Clicking on a link in an NEF may result in PACER fees.
Step |
Action |
---|---|
1 |
After logging in to CM/ECF, click Utilities in the main menu. |
2 |
Under the Your Account heading, click on Update Your E-mail Address. |
3 |
On the left side of the screen, under the Secondary e-mail addresses heading, click the add a new e-mail address. |
4 |
On the right side of the screen, begin typing the e-mail address in the box. |
5 |
For instructions on how to configure each secondary e-mail address, see 'How To Configure Noticing' above. |
The purpose of establishing conventions and standards for party name entries is to facilitate litigation searches and to avoid duplication of party names in the database. The basic rule for party name entry is to spell it exactly as it appears on the pleading. It is important to do a thorough search to avoid entering duplicate information. Searches are conducted by entering only the first few letters of the last name of a person, business, municipality, organization, or agency. The information will be retrieved only as it appears in the system database.
When entering addresses use these abbreviations:
Telephone and facsimile numbers should be separated by dashes. It is not necessary to separate the area code with parentheses. For example:
Example |
503-122-3344 |
Enter the party name exactly as listed on the case-initiating document (excluding only the words "The," "A," or "An" when preceding the name of a party). Use punctuation when it is part of the actual name (e.g., the apostrophe in O'Malley or Dave's Diner). Include hyphens in the last name or first name field when necessary (e.g., Rodriguez-Sanchez). Remove spaces in a last name (e.g., last names beginning with Mac or Mc or MC).
Example 1 |
Last Name: O'Malley |
Example 2 |
Last Name: McCord (remove the space between the c's) |
Enter the full last name, full first name, middle name (or initial), and generation (for example: Jr., Sr., II, etc.) into the designated fields. Use the Title field for designations such as Officer, Sergeant, or Executor. Additional information may also be added in the Party Text field, such as the words: Individually or in their official capacity, or Incorporated in the State of STATE NAME. Do not insert address information for non-pro se litigants.
Enter the full and complete name as referenced in the pleading in the last name field only. Exclude from entry of a corporate name any leading "The."
Example |
Last Name: Integrated Global Systems Company |
The last name field is to be the full name of the union or trust, with the Local number or "Trustees of" in the first name field. Where Trustees are also identified in the complaint in their official capacity, the individual names are to be entered into the party text field for the Trust. Where a Trustee is identified as a separate party, he/she must be entered as an individual, separate party.
Example 1 |
Last Name: Plumbers and Pipefitters |
Example 2 |
Last Name: Electrical Union Health and Welfare Pension Trust |
Example 3 |
Last Name: International Brotherhood of Carpenters |
Enter "Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Nation," not "Umatilla Confederated Tribes."
Example 1 |
Last Name: U.S. Department of Interior |
Example 2: |
Last Name: Salazar |
Example 1 |
Last Name: Portland Water District |
Example 2 |
Last Name: City of Portland |
Example 3 |
Last Name: Oregon Office of Services to Children and Families |
Enter the item as listed in the pleading. Enter further description of the item, such as registration numbers, color, year, make, or model in the Party Text field.
Example |
Last Name: 1989 Chrysler New Yorker |
Example |
Last Name: $14,669.43 (U.S.) |
Use the street address if available. Start the last name field with the street address followed by the city and then the state abbreviation.
Example |
Last Name: 15993 SW Happy Valley Lane, Portland, OR, 99832 |
If the street address is not included, use the real property legal description, starting with the county where the land is situated. Insert the name of the state where the land is located in the party text field. Skip inserting the words "more or less" in the party descriptions.
Follow this hierarchy when entering the legal description of the property:
Example 1 |
Last Name: Clackamas County 2.40 Acres of Land |
Example 2 |
Last Name: Multnomah County 4 Acres of Land |
Example 1: |
Last Name: Smith |
Example 2: |
Last Name: Doe |
Example 3: |
Last Name: Doe |
Example 4: |
Last Name: Doe |
At such time as a "Doe" party is identified in the case, a termination date should be entered for the "Doe" party and a new party record created for the named party.
If the party is regarding the estate of a person, insert "Estate of" in the last name field.
Example: |
Last Name: Estate of Dorothy Drew |
If the party is represented by a guardian ad litem, the guardian should be entered as the party. The person who is the subject of the guardianship should be entered the party text field.
Example: |
Last Name: Doe |
Add the existing party "Commissioner Social Security Administration" at case opening. Do not create a new party. Adding the correct party will ensure that the Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) is sent to and is accessible by the Social Security Administration.
Use the Complaint – Social Security event to file the complaint. Do not attach proposed summonses.
Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. Supp. R. Soc. Sec. 3, service will be made upon the Social Security Administration Office of General Counsel and the local U.S. Attorney by transmittal of a Notice of Electronic Filing at the time of the filing of the Complaint. No proposed summonses are required to be filed.
Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. Supp. R. Soc. Sec. 4, the Transcript of the Administrative Record may be filed in lieu of an answer. Use the Answers to Complaints link under the Civil menu to file either the Administrative Record in lieu of an answer or to file the Answer. In the District of Oregon, the Answer deadline is stated in the Social Security Case Procedural Order and is calculated based on the date the Complaint is filed. Attorneys choosing to separately file an Answer and the Transcript of the Administrative Record are to continue using the Administrative Record – Social Security event to file the Administrative Record. The filing of the Transcript of the Administrative Record will set the deadline for Plaintiff's brief.
The Social Security Defendant's Brief event has been renamed to Commissioner's Brief.
After the Complaint is filed, the Court will issue a Social Security Case Procedural Order that includes schedule information.
Title | Created Date | Last Modified Date | |
---|---|---|---|
Appendix A - Civil Event List | 01/12/2010 | 11/30/2020 | |
Appendix B - Criminal Event List | 01/12/2010 | 05/05/2022 | |
Appendix C - Motion Types | 01/12/2010 | 11/30/2020 | |
Appendix D - Prefix Types | 01/12/2010 | 02/20/2020 | |
Appendix E - Party Roles | 01/12/2010 | 02/20/2020 | |
Appendix F - Flags | 01/12/2010 | 05/05/2022 | |
Appendix G - Schedule Types (Deadlines and Hearings) | 01/12/2010 | 05/05/2022 | |
Appendix H – Judge Codes | 02/22/2010 | 02/28/2023 | |
Appendix I - Clearing Browser Cookies | 02/14/2018 | 02/20/2020 | |
Appendix J - Clearing Browser Cache | 02/14/2018 | 02/20/2020 |