Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride announced Wednesday that a pilot project established last year to allow electronic filing of documents with the Illinois Supreme Court has been expanded to include the option for all documents in cases on the Court's general docket to be filed with the Supreme Court electronically. The expansion also includes the electronic filing of documents concerning attorney disciplinary matters before the Court.

The pilot project, approved by the Supreme Court in January 2012, allowed the Illinois Attorney General, the State Appellate Defender's Office and the Office of the Illinois State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor to digitally file motions, briefs and related documents with the Clerk of the Court through a secure password system designed and operated by a third-party vendor.

Now the pilot project expands to give the option for more persons registered with the third-party vendor, including pro se litigants and attorneys licensed in other jurisdictions appearing in a specific case, to file documents electronically. This move could eventually result in the savings of tens of thousands of pages of paper documents.

"Today's announcement builds on the e-filing initiative that started in the Illinois Supreme Court last year," Chief Justice Kilbride said. "Since that time, we have had the opportunity to assess how the program works in the state's highest court and are encouraged with the results. "Now, by opening up e-filing to more registered users, we hope to continue to provide a more efficient way of doing business with our court system."

The project is supported by a system developed by i2File. The vendor supports the filing of virtually all legal documents in a text searchable .pdf format. The Court's vendor can be accessed through this link on the Supreme Court's website: http://state.il.us/court/EBusiness/SupCt_Ebusiness.asp

Carolyn Taft Grosboll, Clerk of the Supreme Court, lauds the expansion of the pilot project.

"This expansion will allow for more of the Court's filers to electronically file, resulting in the benefit of a streamlined and more efficient practice of filing documents," Ms. Grosboll said. "Adding the option for more registered users to file electronically will ultimately conserve resources and save time for those who choose to file in this manner."

The Order, effective March 1, 2013, also amends the "Electronic Filing User Manual". The filing of paper documents that meet criteria for filing will still be accepted; and confidential, impounded and sealed documents must be filed via paper. However, a motion for leave to file under seal could be submitted electronically.

Even with electronic filing, paper copies are still required to be submitted, although the number is reduced from 20 to 12. Paper documents that accompany successful electronic filing need to be submitted within five days of payment receipt.

Other highlights of the expanded project include: additional proof of service will not be required for submitted documents as long as the original proof of service is referenced in the motion for leave to file and served on all parties of record; and the paper color cover required by Supreme Court Rule 341, if applicable, shall be filed only with the printed, submitted paper version of the e-filed document bearing the Clerk's electronic file stamp and not with the electronic filing.

Only the parties of record, the Supreme Court Justices and authorized personnel will have access to retrieve electronically filed documents.

The confidential, secure username and password that the registered user must use to e-file a document constitute the registered user's signature on the document. Upon submittal of the efiled document, the e-filing provider will provide the registered user with a transaction number followed by an e-mailed transaction confirmation that includes the transaction number, a list of documents submitted and the date and time of submittal.

Registered users will need to pay the applicable filing and appearance fees electronically to the Court through the e-filing provider upon receipt of the e-mailed transaction confirmation. The transaction confirmation shall serve as proof of submittal. Until payment is received, the e-filed document bearing the Clerk's electronic file stamp will not be downloadable.

A document will be considered timely submitted if e-filed at any time before midnight on or before the date on which the document is due. This means no last minute scurrying to the Clerk's Office or the Post Office before the close of business hours.

The announcement to expand the e-filing pilot project is one of several initiatives by Chief Justice Kilbride to move the Illinois court system into the digital age with court efficiencies and related cost savings to users and Illinois taxpayers.

Other initiatives have included making an electronic record available in cases filed in the Appellate Court in 15 counties within four Judicial Districts; moving to a public domain citation system of appellate and Supreme Court cases; and posting online the Pattern Jury Instructions for civil and criminal cases in Illinois.

In addition, at the recommendation of Chief Justice Kilbride, the Supreme Court established a Special Committee on E-Business that is charged with continuing to recommend ways to expand e-filing in the Circuit Courts in Illinois. Based on the Committee's findings and recommendations, the Supreme Court in October 2012 adopted new statewide standards along with new and amended Supreme Court rules that will allow all courts in Illinois to begin electronic filing of court documents in civil cases. That move allows all circuit court clerks to move to permanent and on-going procedures, if they so wish.