NextGen CM/ECF
The United States District Court for the Central District of California upgraded its CM/ECF software to the Next Generation (“NextGen”) of CM/ECF on February 18, 2020. CM/ECF (for the “Case Management/Electronic Case Filing” system) is the federal judiciary’s comprehensive online case management system for all appellate, district, and bankruptcy courts. NextGen is the culmination of a multi-year project headed by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to provide for the current and future filing and case management needs of all CM/ECF users.
One key feature of NextGen is “Central Sign-On,” a new functionality that will allow attorneys, others with permission to electronically file, and parties receiving electronic service of court documents to maintain one account across all NextGen courts (appellate, bankruptcy, and district). E-filers will be able to use one login and password to e-file in every NextGen court where they have been granted e-filing privileges, rather than having to remember a separate login and password for each individual court. The same login and password will be used to access the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system to view dockets and other case information for all federal courts, including those that have not yet upgraded to NextGen.
To continue e-filing in the Central District after the Court’s transition to NextGen, CM/ECF Users who were e-filers before February 18, 2020 must link their old CM/ECF accounts to their individual, upgraded PACER accounts. The first time a user logs in to CM/ECF on or after February 18, 2020, the user will be prompted to link his or her old CM/ECF account to his or her individual, upgraded PACER account. This only needs to be done once. The linking process is simple, but step-by-step instructions, with screenshots, are available here to provide a little extra help.
If you know your CM/ECF login but have forgotten your password, you can reset your password here. If you were not an e-filer before February 18, 2020, you do not remember your old CM/ECF credentials, or you need additional information, click one of the links below for help:
Frequently Asked Questions
Please visit the PACER website for answers to the most commonly asked questions about the transition to NextGen: https://www.pacer.gov/nextgen. Answers to a few additional questions are set forth below.
- I linked my account when the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals converted. Will I have to link my account again?
Yes. After the district court upgrades on February 18, 2020, you will need to link your PACER account to your district court CM/ECF account before you can e-file in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. This linking process must be completed once for each NextGen court where you have an account. You will be prompted to link you account the first time you log in to CM/ECF on or after February 18, 2020. Step-by-step instructions to link your accounts are available here.
- What happens to my CM/ECF account after the court transitions to NextGen?
After the court upgrades to NextGen, you must link your current CM/ECF account to your PACER account. After the accounts are linked, you will no longer use your CM/ECF username or password.
- I am a CJA attorney and I currently have two PACER accounts. Will I continue to need two accounts with NextGen?
CJA attorneys will only need one PACER account for filing and viewing in CM/ECF NextGen. If you have a separate exempt CJA account now, those exempt privileges will be added to your individual upgraded PACER account and your current exempt account will be canceled. Please visit https://www.pacer.gov/ecfcbt/cso/index.html (look for the “Activating CJA Privileges” and “CJA Exempt Status Instructions” Electronic Learning Modules) for more details.
- How do I continue to file in other courts that are not on NextGen?
You will continue to use the CM/ECF login and password issued to you by an individual court to electronically file in that court’s CM/ECF system.
Resources
NextGen CM/ECF Public Notices
For assistance with creating a PACER account, please contact PACER at 1-800-676-6856 or visit the PACER website at https://www.pacer.gov/.
For NextGen CM/ECF Electronic Learning Modules please visit https://www.pacer.gov/ecfcbt/cso/index.html.