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Attorney Filers for CM/ECF

Attorneys filing federal court records electronically or being admitted to practice at a court must first register for a PACER account. This will give attorneys access to view case information and documents. Courts are using one of two versions of CM/ECF – NextGen or CurrentGen.

  • NextGen CM/ECF: Register through this site for a PACER account if the court you want to file in uses NextGen CM/ECF. First time users will be prompted to register for a PACER account and then select to apply for attorney admissions or electronic filing registration available for the selected court.
  • CurrentGen CM/ECF: First you need to register for a PACER account. Then, register directly with each district and/or bankruptcy court who uses CurrentGen CM/ECF.
Register for a PACER account

Getting Started – First Time Users (for PACER and CM/ECF)

NextGen CM/ECF Court

  1. Start the attorney registration processes. You will be prompted to first register for a PACER account.  
  2. Then you will complete the attorney admissions and/or electronic filing registration form based on your selection. Upon completion, the request is transmitted to the court for verification and processing. Document filing and access to restricted cases/documents in a court is not permitted until that court processes the admission and/or registration request.
  3. Once the court processes your request, you will receive an email notification from the court indicating you are admitted or if there are additional steps you need to take. If admitted/approved, then you will be able use your PACER account to view case information and file at that court.

CurrentGen CM/ECF Court

  1. Go to the court’s website for information about their attorney admissions and electronic filing procedures.
  2. Follow the instructions provided by the court.
  3. Once the court processes your request, they will contact you directly indicating you are admitted or if there are additional steps you need to take.

Contact the court you wish to register with for more information about attorney admissions and electronic filing procedures.

Need to practice in more than one court?

After you register you may need to be admitted to practice in additional courts.

  • For courts using NextGen CM/ECF: Log into Manage My Account, select the Maintenance tab, and select Attorney Admissions/E-File Registration or Non-Attorney E-File Registration.
  • For courts using CurrentGen CM/ECF: Register directly with each district and/or bankruptcy court who uses CurrentGenCM/ECF.

Review frequently asked questions about registering for an account.