Seventh circuit adopts digital filing rule

The Federal Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has adopted a rule requiring briefs to be submitted in digital format, both to the court and to each party represented by counsel, in addition to the standard hard copy filing requirements. The applicable portion of Rule 31, subsection (e), reads as follows:

"(e) Digital Versions.

(1) A digital version of each brief (including the appendix required by Circuit Rule 30(a) to (c)) must be furnished to the court at the time the paper brief is filed, unless counsel certifies that the material is not available electronically. The full contents of the brief (from cover through conclusion) must be furnished even if digital versions of some materials in the Rule 30 appendix are not available.

(2) The digital version must be furnished on floppy disk, on CD-ROM, or via the Internet. Detailed instructions appear on the court's web page at http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/ The label of a disk, if one is used, must show the case name, docket number, and party on whose behalf the brief is presented.

(3) The electronic version must be in Portable Document Format (also known as PDF or Acrobat format). This format must be generated by printing to PDF from the original word processing file, so that the text of the digital brief may be searched and copied: PDF images created by scanning paper documents do not comply with this rule.

(4) One copy of the digital version must be furnished to each party separately represented by counsel."

(As amended Dec. 1, 2001.)

As noted in subpart (2) above, more detailed instructions on digital filing with the court can be found at the court's website at http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov.

Capital Litigation Trial Bar listing now online

Per the requirements of Supreme Court Rule 714 (195 Ill. 2d R. 714), the initial compilation of duly licensed attorneys who have qualified to serve as members of the Capital Litigation Trial Bar has been completed and may be viewed online at the Illinois Supreme Court's website at www.state.il.us/court/SupremeCourt. By clicking on the heading "Illinois Court Documents," and under the subheading "Supreme Court Documents," you will find a listing entitled, "Capital Litigation Trial Bar Rosters," which will take you to the list. You may also directly access the list by going to www.state.il.us/court/SupremeCourt/Trial_Bar_Rosters.

In the list you will find the names of those attorneys who have satisfied the minimum qualifications to participate in capital cases based upon their ability, knowledge and experience, the attorney's availability as lead or co-counsel, the county in which he or she is located, and whether the attorney is a prosecutor, public defender or in private practice. The clerk of the Supreme Court will update the list on a regular basis. Hard copies of the list will be distributed to the Chief Judge of each circuit as the list is updated.