Local Rule LCvR 5.2: DOCUMENTS TO BE FILED WITH THE CLERK OF COURT

LCvR 5.2 DOCUMENTS TO BE FILED WITH THE CLERK OF COURT A. Only Original to be Filed. As to any document required or permitted to be filed with the Court in paper form, only the original shall be filed with the Clerk of Court.

B. Attorney Identification. Any document signed by an attorney for filing shall contain under the signature line the name, address, telephone number, fax number, e-mail address (if applicable) and Pennsylvania or other state bar identification number. When listing the bar identification number, the state's postal abbreviation shall be used as a prefix (e.g., PA 12345, NY 246810).

C. No Faxed Documents. Documents shall not be faxed to a Judge without prior leave of Court. Documents shall not be faxed to the Clerk of Court's office, except in the event of a technical failure with the Court's Electronic Case Filing ("ECF") system. "Technical failure" is defined as a malfunction of Court owned/leased hardware, software, and/or telecommunications facility which results in the inability of a Filing User to submit a filing electronically. Technical failure does not include malfunctioning of a Filing User's equipment.

D. Redaction of Personal Identifiers. A filed document in a case (other than a social security case) shall not contain any of the personal data identifiers listed in this rule unless permitted by an order of the Court or unless redacted in conformity with this rule. The personal data identifiers covered by this rule and the required redactions are as follows:

1. Social Security Numbers. If an individual's Social Security Number must be included in a document, only the last four digits of that number shall be used;

2. Names of minor children. If the involvement of a minor child must be mentioned, only that child's initials shall be used;

3. Dates of birth. If an individual's date of birth must be included, only the year shall be used;

4. Financial account numbers. If financial account numbers must be included, only the last four digits shall be used.

Additional personal data identifier in a criminal case document only:

5. Home addresses. If a home address must be included, only the city and state shall be listed.

E. Personal Identifiers Under Seal. A party wishing to file a document containing the personal data identifiers listed above may file in addition to the required redacted document:

1. a sealed and otherwise identical document containing the unredacted personal data identifiers, or 2. a reference list under seal. The reference list shall contain the complete personal data identifier(s) and the redacted identifier(s) used in its (their) place in the filing. All references in the case to the redacted identifiers included in the reference list will be construed to refer to the corresponding complete personal data identifier. The reference list must be filed under seal, and may be amended as of right.

F. Unredacted Version Retained by Court. The sealed unredacted version of the document or the sealed reference list shall be retained by the Court as a part of the record.

G. Counsel and Parties Responsible. The responsibility for redacting these personal identifiers rests solely with counsel and the parties. The Clerk of Court will not review each document for compliance with this rule.

H. Leave of Court Required To File Under Seal. A party wishing to file any document under seal must obtain prior leave of Court for each document that is requested to be filed under seal. A party must file a motion seeking leave to file such documents under seal. Only after obtaining an order of Court granting such a motion will a party be permitted to file a document under seal.

Comment (2016)

LCvR 5.2.H implements the Court's standing Order dated January 27, 2005 (2:05-mc-00045-DWA) In re Confidentiality and Protective Orders in Civil Matters, which ordered that effective July 1, 2005, any provision in a Confidentiality Order or Protective Order filed on or after June 30, 2005 that permits the parties to designate documents as confidential documents to be filed with the Court under seal is null and void and that on or after July 1, 2005, parties wishing to file documents under seal must obtain prior leave of Court for each ECF document that is requested to be filed under seal.