electronic Filing & Service for Courts

US Supreme Court to Mandate eBriefs?

Here is the proposed rule:

PROPOSED REVISIONS TO RULES OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
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PROPOSED ADOPTION DATE: JUNE 25, 2007
PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE: AUGUST 1, 2007

8. An electronic version of every brief on the merits shall be transmitted
to the Clerk of Court and to opposing counsel of record at the time
the brief is filed in accordance with guidelines established by the Clerk.
The electronic transmission requirement is in addition to the
requirement that booklet-format briefs be timely filed.

[CLERK’S COMMENT: THE REVISED BRIEFING SCHEDULE RECOGNIZES THAT
THE TIME PERIOD BETWEEN THE GRANTING OF A PETITION FOR A WRIT OF
CERTIORARI AND THE DATE OF ORAL ARGUMENT HAS DECREASED IN RECENT
YEARS. THE REVISED RULE ALSO RECOGNIZES THAT TECHNOLOGICAL
IMPROVEMENTS HAVE DECREASED THE AMOUNT OF TIME NEEDED TO
PREPARE BOOKLET-FORMAT BRIEFS AND BRIEFS CAN BE READILY
TRANSMITTED ELECTRONICALLY. ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF BRIEFS TO
THE CLERK AND OPPOSING COUNSEL IS MANDATED BY THE REVISED RULE.
THE CHANGE EMPHASIZES THAT ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION DOES NOT
CONSTITUTE FILING.]

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What is not known is the means an attorney would use to transmit the brief to the Clerk? Also, the means the Clerk will use to search and store these digital briefs once received.

North Carolina counties to pilot efiling

State officials with the Administrative Office of the Courts selected Davidson County to participate in a pilot program that will enable lawyers to file legal documents electronically over the Internet.

Davidson, Wake and Chowan counties were selected to test the program before it's implemented in all 100 counties. Officials hope to launch the pilot program by early next year.