Local Rule LR 5.2: General Format of Documents Presented for Filing

LR 5.2 - General Format of Documents Presented for Filing a. General Requirements. All pleadings, motions, and other documents presented for filing must be on 8.5 x 11 inch white paper or plain background, with double-spaced numbering running the length of the left margin, and must be plainly typewritten, printed, or prepared by a clearly legible duplication process. Block quotations, footnotes, and headings may be single-spaced; all other text must be double-spaced. All text must be in 12-point type or larger and in a serif font. Pages must be one-sided and numbered consecutively.

Three inches of the upper right-hand corner of the first page of all documents must be left blank for the clerk's use.

Unless otherwise required by this Rule, each page must have a margin of not less than 1.5 inches on the top, one inch on the bottom, one-half inch on the right hand margin, and one inch on the left hand side of the page.

The text of all documents filed in CM/ECF must be searchable, in conformity with Appendix A.3 of these Rules.

This rule does not apply to: (1) exhibits submitted for filing, except that pages from depositions, trial transcripts, or any other sources may not be reduced in size so as to fit more than one page of transcription or other material on to one page of an exhibit; (2) documents filed in removed actions prior to removal from the Commonwealth courts; and (3) forms furnished by the Court.

b. Citations to Authority. All citations to legal authority must be in a generally recognized form that enables both the Court and all parties to locate the cited work. If a cited case or other authority is not available on LexisNexis or Westlaw, the citing party must attach a copy of the authority to the pleading as an exhibit.

c. Counsel Identification. The name, mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone number of counsel (or, if proceeding without counsel, of the party), and the specific identification of each party represented by name and interest in the litigation (i.e., plaintiff, defendant, etc.), must appear in the upper left-hand corner of the first page of each paper presented for filing, except that in multiparty proceedings reference may be made to the signature page for the complete list of parties represented.

d. Caption and Title. 1. "IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT / FOR THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS" must appear on two lines, single-spaced and centered, on the first page of all documents, at least 1.5 inches from the top of the page. 2. The title of the proceeding must appear on the first page of all documents below the title of the Court and to the left of the center of the page. In a complaint, the title of the proceeding must contain the names of all parties. In all documents other than a complaint, the title of the proceeding may be appropriately abbreviated. 3. The file number of the proceeding, a designation of the proceeding (i.e., as civil, criminal, bankruptcy, etc.), and a title describing the paper(s) presented for filing must appear on the first page of all documents below the title of the Court and to the right of the title of the proceeding. 4. Every pleading must be specifically and particularly identified (e.g., "Plaintiff's Opposition to Defendant's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment").

e. Hearing Date and Time. The first page of every motion, opposition, reply, or other filing directed to a matter for which a hearing will be held must indicate the date and time of the hearing (e.g., "Defendant's Opposition to Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment" and, below that, "Hearing: June 29, 2017 / Time: 9:00 a.m.").

f. Information to be Redacted. All parties must strictly observe the privacy protection for filings made with the Court as set forth in Rule 5.2 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Appendix A.14 of these Local Rules. Failure to redact information as required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 5.2 and Appendix A.14 may result in the striking of a filing from the record and the imposition of other sanctions. A party wishing to file a document containing such personal information may file an unredacted copy under seal. This document will be retained by the Court as part of the record. The Court may, however, still require the party to file a redacted copy for the public file.

The responsibility for redacting these personal identifiers rests solely with counsel and the parties. The Clerk's Office will not review each pleading for compliance with this Rule.

g. Deficiency Notice. The clerk may notify a party of any format nonconformity and require the party to submit a conforming document. Failure to correct a nonconformity within two business days after notification by the clerk is grounds for the Court, in its discretion, to strike the nonconforming document.