Introduction
The focus of this section is, obviously, PACER. (Public Access to Court Electronic Records.)
An off-shoot of PACER (and the part paralegals will utilize most) is the CM/ECF system. (Case Management/Electronic Case Filing system.) I guess they couldn't come up with a cute acronym for CM/ECF!
CM/ECF is the way lawyers and paralegals file documents electronically with the court. Many courts now require it, so don't fight it.
State courts use their own systems. Unfortunately, there is no universal standard to the systems used for electronic filing. Some are quite sophisticated (such as the Lexis-created system that some state courts now use) and some are little more than email using a form set up by the court.
To get you used to the e-filing environment, you are expected to review the tutorials on PACER that are listed in the manual. Those links are provided below:
You may also want to view these other tutorials:
Even spending an hour watching these will make you more comfortable with the e-filing environment. It is not difficult, especially after you view two or three of them.
Want to be really comfortable with the system? Here are a few more optional demos. Notice that as you watch them (in order), you will probably start anticipating what happens next. When that happens it indicates that you are starting to become comfortable with the e-filing environment.
(Please notify us if any of the above links are not active. The courts often update and change tutorials. Thank you!) |
