Local Rule LCvR 33: SERVING AND RESPONDING TO INTERROGATORIES TO PARTIES IN ELECTRONIC FORM

LCvR 33 SERVING AND RESPONDING TO INTERROGATORIES TO PARTIES IN ELECTRONIC FORM A. Electronic Form. Any party may, pursuant to Rule 33 of the Fed. R. Civ. P., serve upon any other party interrogatories in Writable Electronic Form (as hereinafter defined) and require that written answers to such interrogatories also be provided in electronic form, except that a responding party shall retain the option to produce business records in the form and manner permitted pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 33(d). Upon request by any party, interrogatories must be served upon that party in Writable Electronic Form. Unless the serving party specifically requests that the written answers be provided in hard-copy form, the responding party shall provide the written answers to such interrogatories in electronic form. Any party responding in electronic form to interrogatories may serve such response in a form that may not be altered.

B. Definition of Writable Electronic Form. "Writable Electronic Form" means a format that allows the recipient to copy or transfer the text of the document into the written answer or written response, or permits the written answer or written response to be typed directly into the document, and thus avoids the need to retype the text.

C. Hard Copy Form. In the event that the parties elect not to use the electronic form for interrogatories or written responses thereto, interrogatories shall be prepared in such a fashion that sufficient space for insertion of the written responses thereto is provided after each interrogatory or sub-section thereof. The original and two (2) copies shall be served upon the party to whom such interrogatories is directed. The responding party shall insert answers on the original interrogatories served upon him or her and shall retain the original and be the custodian of it. If there is not sufficient space on the original for insertion of written responses, the responding party may use and attach supplemental pages for the written responses. In lieu of the foregoing procedure, the responding party may retype each interrogatory with the response to such interrogatory appearing immediately thereafter.