Local Rule LCvR 79.1: Sealed Documents

LCvR 79.1 Sealed Documents.

(a) Policy. It is the policy of this Court that sealed documents, confidentiality agreements, and protective orders are disfavored. Sealed documents and confidentiality agreements may be approved by the Court only upon a showing that a legally protected interest of a party, non-party or witness outweighs the compelling public interest in disclosure of records.

(b) Motion Required. Leave of Court is required to file a document or a portion of a document under seal. The motion seeking such an order must contain sufficient facts to overcome the presumption in favor of disclosure. The relief sought shall be narrowly tailored to serve the specific interest sought to be protected. Underneath the case number, in the style of any document sought to be sealed, the document shall be marked in all caps "SEALED." Parties are referred to this Court's ECF Policy Manual for specific procedure to be followed for filing motions to seal, proposed orders and sealed filings.

(c) Docketing. Titles of sealed pleadings will be docketed and open to the public, unless otherwise ordered by the Court. Therefore, parties should take every precaution to remove confidential material from the title of the sealed pleading.