CM/ECF is the federal courts' case management and electronic case files system. This system gives federal courts the ability to maintain electronic case files and to offer electronic filing of court documents over the Internet.
Benefits for Attorneys and Public:
• Case information, including the docket sheet and the filed documents, is available for viewing and downloading to attorneys and the public at any time from locations other than the courthouse, via the Internet through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system. (PACER brochure)
• Parties, the judge, court staff, and the public can review the case file simultaneously.
• Registered users can file case documents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, over the Internet, with no additional filing fees. Attorneys can file case documents from their offices or homes right up to the filing deadline, without worrying about postage, messenger services, or traffic congestion.
• A notification of activity in a case, in the form of a Notice of Electronic Filing, is sent by e-mail to the filer and all registered participants in the case immediately after each electronic filing. The Notice of Electronic Filing contains a hyperlink to the filed document and the docket sheet.
• Since CM/ECF can be accessed using standard office PC equipment, the cost to be CM/ECF ready is very low for the typical attorney.