Local Rule Rule 102: General Filing and Service Requirements
D. Md. — Civil rule
RULE 102. GENERAL FILING AND SERVICE REQUIREMENTS
1. Signatures, Identifying Information, and Proof of Service
a) Signatures
i) Parties Represented by Counsel. When a party is represented by counsel, the Clerk shall accept for filing only documents signed by a member of the Bar of this Court whose appearance is entered on behalf of that party. Use of any of the methods for signing an electronic document established by the Court, including use of an attorney's login and password to electronically file a document, constitutes the attorney's signature on the document.
ii) Parties Appearing Without Counsel. When a party is appearing without counsel, the Clerk will accept for filing only documents signed by that party. Attorneys who have prepared any documents which are submitted for filing by a self-represented litigant must be members of the Bar of this Court and must sign the document, state their name, address, telephone number, and their bar number assigned by this Court. Upon inquiry, all parties appearing without counsel must disclose the identity of any individual who has prepared, or assisted in preparing, any documents filed in this Court. Any attorney who prepares any document for filing in this Court by a person who is known by the attorney, or who is reasonably expected by the attorney, to be appearing without counsel shall be deemed thereby to have conferred disciplinary jurisdiction upon the Court for any alleged misconduct of that attorney.
b) Identifying Information
i) Required on All Court Documents. At the bottom of all court documents, counsel and self-represented litigants shall state their name, address, telephone number, email and fax number. Counsel shall also state their bar number assigned by this Court. This is not a substitute for compliance with L.R. 101.1.b.ii and 701.3.
ii) Duty of Counsel to Notify the Clerk of Any Change in Address. Counsel must promptly notify the Clerk of any change of address, including email address, irrespective of any changes noted on a pleading or other document. This obligation is continuing and if counsel fails to comply, the Court may enter an order dismissing any affirmative claims for relief and may enter a default judgment.
iii) Duty of Self-Represented Litigants to Keep Current Address on File. Self-represented litigants must file with the Clerk in every case which they have pending a statement of their current address where case-related papers may be served. This obligation is continuing, and if any self-represented litigant fails to comply, the Court may enter an order dismissing any affirmative claims for relief filed by that party and may enter a default judgment on any claims asserted against that party.
c) Proof of Service
Except as provided for in L.R. 112.1 and 112.2, all court documents other than the original complaint must bear a signed certificate signed by counsel stating that the service required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 5(a) has been made. If a document is filed electronically, the notice of electronic filing constitutes a certificate of service as to all parties to whom electronic notice is sent.
d) Electronic Transmission
Electronic filing of documents is only permitted in accordance with the policies and procedures established by the Court. Electronic filing includes submission by email or by portable electronic media (e.g., disk, flash drive).
2. Format of Court Documents
a) Caption
The case caption on all court documents shall contain only a short title, consisting of the names of the first plaintiff and the first defendant only, and the civil action number. This Rule shall not apply to the original complaint (which shall contain the names and addresses of all parties and the county of residence of any Maryland party) or any pleading seeking to add a new party (which shall contain the short caption and the name and address of the parties sought to be added and the county of residence of any Maryland party sought to be added).
b) Margins, Spacing, and Numbering
All documents filed with the Court shall not exceed 8 1/2" x 11", with a one-inch margin on all sides. Lines of text for all documents, including correspondence, shall be double-spaced except for quotations and footnotes. Pages shall be numbered at the bottom of every page after the first page. Typed or printed material shall appear in at least 12-point font size for text and at least 10-point font size for footnotes in Times New Roman or larger typeface. Documents may not be handwritten unless the filer did not have the ability to submit typed or printed material.
c) Legibility
No document shall be accepted for filing unless it is legible.
3. Issuance of Subpoenas in Self-Represented Cases
The Clerk shall not issue any subpoena under Fed. R. Civ. P. 45(a)(3) to any self-represented litigant without first obtaining an order from the Court authorizing the issuance of the subpoena. Before entering any such order the Court may require the litigant to state the reasons why the subpoena should be issued, and the Court may refuse to authorize issuance of the subpoena if it concludes that the subpoena imposes undue burden or expense on the person subject to the subpoena or upon the U.S. Marshal or other court officer who would be required to serve it under 28 U.S.C. § 1915, or is otherwise inconsistent with the requirements of Fed. R. Civ. P. 26 and 45(d).
4. Interdivisional Filing
Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, any pleadings, motions, memoranda or other documents may be filed in either division and, if such filing is made within any applicable deadline, shall be deemed to be timely.
5. Electronic Orders and Documents
a) Entry
The electronic filing by a judge or the Clerk of any order, decree, judgment, proceeding, or other documents shall constitute entry of that document on the docket maintained by the Clerk as well as notice to and service upon registered parties in the case under the federal rules of procedure. Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 79 and Fed. R. Crim. P. 55, documents filed under this method are deemed to be the official court record maintained by the Clerk.
b) Signatures
Orders and documents issued by either a judge or the Clerk may be signed either with an original signature or an electronic signature. Any order or document filed electronically without the original signature of the judge or the Clerk has the same force and effect as if the judge or the Clerk had signed a paper copy of the order or document.
c) Paperless Orders
At the discretion of the presiding judge or the Clerk, an order may be entered by having a text-only entry made on the docket. Such orders shall have the same force and effect as any other order.
6. Filing When Represented by Counsel
Except for issues concerning the relationship between attorney and client, or unless otherwise directed by the presiding judge, no document shall be accepted for filing by a party represented by counsel unless it is filed by counsel.