How does e-mail noticing work?

In March 2005, the court will implement a new case management system which allows for immediate e-mail notification of orders, judgments and all other documents filed in a case. With the new system, each time a document is filed, the court will send a Notice of Filing to those attorneys who are listed as trial attorney and who have consented to receive electronic notices.

The e-mail notice will give the style of case, title of the document, docket text, a list of attorneys who are receiving notice, and a link to an electronic image of the document.

When you click on the link, the image of the document will appear on your computer screen. It is advised to print the document or save it to your computer.

Note: Only the first "look" at the document is automatic and free as explained below.

Am I required to sign up for e-mail noticing?

There is currently no mandate for signing up, however, the court strongly encourages all attorneys to do so. You must sign up and consent to receive e-mail notification in order for the court to send you e-mail notices.

Beginning March 1, 2005, the court will only provide notice by e-mail or by regular mail. Those signed up for e-mail notification will receive notice of orders and judgments significantly faster than those receiving notice by mail.

Can I sign up for e-mail noticing by phone?

No. The court requires that you sign up and give consent via the court's website on the Consent for e-mail Notification web page . This will reduce data entry issues and allow you to quickly receive confirmation that you have successfully provided your e-mail address to the court.

If I am from a big law firm, does each attorney need to sign up and consent to receive e-mail notices?

Yes, each attorney who wishes to receive e-mail notices must sign-up and provide consent to the court. However, all attorneys in the firm can share a PACER login and password for viewing documents on-line.

Can I have more than one primary e-mail address?

No. You cannot have more than one "primary" e-mail address, however, you can have several secondary or alternate addresses. Both the primary e-mail address and the alternate list of e-mail addresses will receive notice of electronic filing e-mail.

Your alternate address(es) list may include secretaries, paralegals and/or partner attorneys. Please note that the alternate e-mail address(es) will receive the same notices as the primary e-mail address.

How do I change the e-mail address(es) I've registered with the court?

If you have an ECF account for this court, to update your e-mail address information, you must login to Louisiana Eastern District ECF system, then use the Utilities menu, Maintain Your Account, and click the Email Information button at the bottom of the screen.  There you can modify your e-mail address(es).  Next, click the Return to Account screen button, click Submit at the bottom of the screen and then the Submit button once again on the next screen.

Otherwise, If you have only consented to receive e-mail notices from this court, to change either your primary address or any of your alternate addresses, you must re-enter all of your information through the court’s sign up website, even if you are only changing one. The court will use your latest entered sign up information for e-mail noticing.

You are solely responsible for ensuring that your e-mail address is correct.

How do I change my mailing address?

At this time, you must still notify the clerk of court in writing of any mailing address changes.

Is there a cost for viewing the documents online?

For the attorney of record who receives a notice via e-mail, there is no cost for viewing the newly filed document the first time only. After the first free viewing, the Judicial Conference of the United States approved an Internet access fee of $.08 per page with a 30 page billing limit for each document. This access fee applies to information retrieved through the system for all users.

Attorneys of record receive one free electronic copy of all documents filed for their case if they are registered for e-mail notification. Clicking on the hyperlink will open the document through a web browser and display it in Adobe Acrobat Reader.

How do I get a free copy of newly filed documents?

Each attorney of record in a case will receive an e-mail message containing a hyperlink to a document which has been filed. One free look is available to each attorney of record. Attorneys are able to list multiple addresses as per explanation above. However, the free look will only apply to the e-mail recipient for the attorney of record who accesses the document first.

If the attorney of record has listed alternate e-mail addresses, and one of these individuals looks at the document first, this is considered the "one free look". Each subsequent individual to pull up that document by clicking the link will be charged. All users are advised to print or save the document during the initial viewing in order to avoid future charges.

Any time that same hyperlink is accessed after the first free look, the user will be asked for a PACER login. This will indicate that this document has been accessed by the attorney of record or one of the alternate e-mail recipients from the list.

How can I receive a notice of newly filed documents in a case I'm not involved?

You will need to have a CM/ECF account for this district court. Then after logging in, under the "Utilities" menu, select "Maintain Your E-mail". Under the heading "Additional Options" click on the drop-down menu's down arrow and select "Additional Cases". Then click the down arrow for the option list currently showing the word "Show" and select "Add". Enter a case number that you wish to receive notices in the box provided then click on the "Add to List" button. You should now see the case number and short title displayed in the box above where you just entered the number. When you have finished adding cases, click the "Submit" button.

Will public terminals in the Clerk's Office still be available to view documents and case information?

Yes. There is no cost for viewing case information and case documents with the public terminals. If you wish the print the information, the cost is $.10 per page.

What hardware and software do I need to be able to receive e-mail notifications and view newly filed documents?

•   A personal computer running a standard platform such as Windows or Macintosh
•   Internet service
•   A web browser like Netscape Navigator 4.6 or 4.7, Netscape 7.x, Internet Explorer 5.5 or 6.0. (Netscape 6.0 is not recommended.)
•   Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available for free, is needed for viewing PDF documents.

Do I need a PACER account?

Technically, no; however, it is highly recommended that you obtain one. If the document is not printed or saved during the first "look", subsequent attempts to view it using the link in the e-mail notice will result in you being prompted for a PACER login and password. If you do not have an account, you cannot view the document on-line again until you obtain one.

All electronic case fillings are accessed through PACER. In order to review a case filling or see a docket sheet for a case, you must have a PACER account for billing purposes. Other than the first "look" at the notice document, you will incur charges of $.08 per page for viewing documents and docket sheets thru PACER. There is a cap on the charge at 30 pages or $2.40 for each document or docket sheet.

How do I register for a PACER account?

You may obtain a PACER account through the PACER Service Center's website at http://www.pacer.psc.uscourts.gov and complete the on-line form as instructed. You may also call the center toll free at 1-800-676-6856.

This account can be used for viewing case information from any federal court's PACER system.

What is a PDF document?

Documents in Portable Document File (PDF) format do not require a copy of the word processing program used to create the document in order to view it. These documents can be viewed by using a free program such as Acrobat Reader, a product of Adobe Systems, Inc. In addition to the ease of viewing by anyone, a PDF document matches very closely to the format of the original document in which the PDF document was created.

All the documents in PACER are stored in PDF format. To view PDF files, you must have a PDF viewing software such as Acrobat Reader, which you may download free from the Adobe Systems Internet website http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.

What is Adobe Acrobat?

Adobe Acrobat is a commercial software product from Adobe which allows you to view and create documents in PDF format. This software can be purchased through the same means and locations where computers are sold. There are also other commercially available products which can be used to save documents in PDF format.

Adobe, the inventors of the PDF format, provides a free reader application which can be used to view PDF documents. To download the reader application, visit Adobe’s website at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.

Is e-mail noticing the same thing as electronic filing?

At this time, there is no electronic filing available to attorneys. Initially, only "electronic noticing" via e-mail will be available. Paper documents will continue to be filed at the Intake counter or mailed to the Clerk's Office. The documents will be scanned to create PDF files and then loaded into the case management system.

When will the electronic filing be available to the bar?

Electronic filing by attorneys is scheduled to begin in the Fall of 2005. Please see our Implementation Schedule and continue to check this website for additional information regarding this project.

Who do I contact if I need assistance with e-mail notification or additional information not covered in the questions listed above?

For assistance with signing up for e-mail notification or to obtain additional information not covered in the questions above, contact the Clerk of Court's Office at 504-589-7788 or toll-free at 1(866)-209-7767.