Filing & Service
N.D. Ill. — ## §2.
§2. Filing & Service
Electronic Filing (CM/ECF)
Attorneys must file documents electronically (LR 5.2(a)). Non-electronic filing is permitted only if allowed by the court for good cause.
Pro se parties may file electronically only after completing a Clerk's Office administered class on e-filing, and only after the complaint has been filed in paper format (LR 5.2(a)).
Filing by email or fax is prohibited. The only means of electronic filing is through CM/ECF per the General Order on Electronic Case Filing (LR 5.2(d)).
The electronic version is the court's official record. Where both electronic and paper versions exist, the electronic version controls (LR 5.2(c)).
Service
The Notice of Electronic Filing issued through CM/ECF constitutes service on all Filing Users (e-filers) in the case (LR 5.9).
A certificate of service is required only when service is made on a recipient who is not an e-filer (LR 5.5(a)). The certificate must identify the persons served, the date, and the manner of service (LR 5.5(c)).
Ex Parte Motions
A motion for an ex parte order must be accompanied by an affidavit showing cause for withholding service and stating whether a previous application for similar relief has been made (LR 5.5(d)).
Sealed Filings
NDIL has a detailed sealing procedure under LR 26.2:
Electronic filings under seal require a three-step process (LR 26.2(c)):
- File a public-record redacted version of the brief/motion with proposed sealed text redacted
- Provisionally file the non-redacted version under seal, with proposed redactions highlighted in a visible color
- File a sealing motion articulating good cause on an item-by-item basis — a general assertion of good cause is insufficient
Sealed documents served on counsel and judge must be complete, unredacted versions (LR 26.2(e)).
Disposition: When a case is closed, sealed non-electronic documents are maintained for 63 days after final disposition. After that, parties are notified they have 30 days to retrieve them, or the clerk will destroy them (LR 26.2(h)).
Non-Party Filings
No pleading, motion, or document may be filed by a non-party unless approved by the court. The exception is motions to intervene (LR 5.6).